He Noticed
by Aedien
Summary: Naruto has always had a soft spot for Sakura, and when he decides to do something nice for her birthday, she's not the only one who's impressed. He always seems so dense, but it's surprising what he remembers.
1. Flowery Favorites

"Ah! Beautiful as always!" a plump woman in her mid forties held up a bouquet of sunflowers and inhaled deeply, "Thank you Ino-chan, you did a wonderful job."

Ino smiled and waved off the compliment, "Oh no problem at all Hinari-san. Thank you for your business."

"I don't know anywhere else to get such lovely flowers. Tell your parents tulips for next weeks order will you?"

"Yes of course....." Ino bowed respectfully to the older woman as she turned and swept out of the shop, "You old bat....."

Ino wrinkled her nose, "I spend almost everyday out on missions and Mom still expects me to help in the shop! I really need to get my own place!" She sighed and leaned over the counter, resting her chin in her hands, "I wonder if I can get a nice apartment on a Chunnin's pay...?"

She bowed her head in thought causing her long blond hair to flip over her shoulder, "Hmmm...."

The bell on the door of her family's shop jangled, cheerfully announcing the arrival of a customer. Ino sat up and smiled invitingly, "Good Afternoon! Welcome to—Oh! Hi Naruto."

Naruto walked to the counter, smiling pleasantly at her, "Hi Ino! Watching the shop today huh?"

Ino sat on the counter, putting herself at eye level with the blond, _Wow he's gotten tall!_

"Yeah, Mom wanted to go shopping so she roped me into taking care of things here."

Naruto shot her a foxy grin, "Well it's nice that you help your family out. Must be pretty relaxing compared to missions huh?"

Ino shrugged, "I've never really thought about it that way."

He laughed, "Yeah, I guess you must be sick of it huh? Sakura-chan tells me you work here a couple days a week."

Ino raised an eyebrow at her former classmate, "She talks about me? What a weird thing to tell you."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly, "Actually, I asked her to fill me in on how everyone's been doing. It's hard to get together with everyone since we're all busy with missions, but I see Sakura-chan everyday. Sorry I guess I should have come to see you myself."

Ino shook her head, "Don't be sorry, things have gotten pretty noisy around here since you got back." she smiled, "How have you been Naruto?"

The other blond leaned on the counter and grinned, "I'm just happy to be home. I really missed everyone. Training was great, and I got a lot stronger, but even I want a break once in awhile."

Ino nodded, "I know what you mean. Some days I just want to tell the guys to stuff it!"

She grinned and Naruto laughed, "I can't imagine Shikamaru pushing you too hard. Does he even get off his butt to train?"

Ino giggled behind her hand, "I said the same thing to him when we were Genin. It's amazing, but he actually gets a lot done when he's motivated."

"Now that is something I would love to see! Invite me next time you train Ino."

"Sure! Maybe you can show us some of the things you learned while you were away! Anyway Naruto, what are you doing here?" she grinned and leaned closer to him, "Or did you just want to see me?"

Naruto blushed lightly; unconsciously leaning back to put some space between Ino and himself, "Ah, Ino-chan...."

Ino laughed and drew away from him, leaning back on her hands, "Naruto, you're such a kid! You're just too easy!"

Naruto pouted at her, "Ino! That's not fair! Talking to me that way...."

_Especially when I could see down your shirt... _his blush deepened, but he didn't voice his last thought.

Ino waved him off, "It was just a bit of fun. It's been a boring day." she winked at him, "Besides, a girl can't help but like it when her looks are appreciated. So really, what's up? You didn't come here for flowers did you?"

Naruto grinned, "Actually I did."

Ino's eyes widened, "REALLY? Who are they for?" she gasped, "Naruto! Are you seeing someone! Do you have a date!" she leaned over him, _Maybe he finally noticed Hinata! Oh my gosh!_

Naruto raised his hands and averted his eyes, 'I really wish she wouldn't lean over like that!'

"Hold on Ino! The flowers are for Sakura-chan!"

Ino stopped and sat back on her hands, eying him suspiciously, "For Sakura..? Naruto!" the young man jumped as she grabbed his arm, "Are you dating Sakura!"

Naruto waved his hands, "No, no! Nothing like that! Today's her birthday so I thought I would do something nice for her!"

Ino let out a sigh, slightly disappointed by his answer, "Oh I see. That makes sense. Do you need help picking something out?"

Nartuo shook his head, "No thanks Ino. I'm getting her daffodils, they're her favorite."

Ino slid off the counter and began gathering the flowers, "You actually know what her favorite flower is?"

Naruto grinned, "Well, whenever I'm in the hospital that's what she brings, and during one of our missions she told me and Sauske that she likes them."

Ino watched him from the corner of her eye, surprised by the revelation, _That had to be at least __three years ago and he remembered...._

She walked back to him, lowers in hand and leaned on the counter then smiled at him, "I'm impressed Naruto."

"Huh? With what?"

Ino shook her head and poked him in the ribs, "You remembered that, I bet that Shikamaru and Chouji don't know what my favorite flower is. They could learn something from you."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "You want me to tell them what you favorite flower is?"

Ino rolled her eyes, _He's really dense._

"That's not what I meant! You don't even know that. How could you tell them?"

Naruto frowned, "Yeah I do."

Ino's jaw dropped, "What!"

"You like roses. I heard you telling Sauske about it a long time ago." he tilted his head in thought, "Unless you changed your mind."

Ino gaped at him trying to pull her thoughts together; Naruto still seemed confused by the whole conversation and had settled to twirling a kunai in his hand, trying to distract himself.

After a moments Ino pulled herself together; she smiled and pushed her self up on her toes to look him in the eye, "You know..."

He stopped playing with the kunai to look at her; she grinned mischievously at him, "I could really fall for a guy like you."

Naruto had to grab the counter to steady himself, "WHAT?"

Ino laughed, "Girls like strong, sensitive guys Naruto. You're just the right mix of both. If only you weren't so loud you'd be perfect!"

Naruto stared at her, not sure if he had heard her correctly; his mind worked desperately to get a handle on the unfamiliar situation. "Uh, ah-- Ino, I thought you liked Sauske!"

Ino frowned and shook her head, "I thought I did too. It was just a school-girl crush." she shrugged, " After he betrayed Konoha I just didn't feel the same way about him." she looked up into confused sapphire eyes.

"I can't be in love with someone who would betray his closest friends. Besides, he never cared about me.."

_I'm not sure he ever cared about anyone..._

She began arranging the flowers that she had gathered, "I didn't want to see it."

Naruto frowned; feeling guilty for bringing up old wounds, "Ino I'm sorry, I didn't know what to say...."

Ino smiled at him, "Don't be sorry. I got over him a long time ago. People change."

Naruto laughed half-heartedly, "Yeah... they do..."

Ino cut a piece of pink ribbon from a roll under the counter and used it to tie a bow around the flowers; then she held them up and smiled at her handiwork, "Here you go. Specially made just for you."

Naruto took the flowers from her; closing his eyes as he inhaled the light fragrance, "It looks great Ino-chan. Thank you!" he used his free hand to reach for his wallet, "How much do I owe you?"

Ino smiled and patted him on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it Naruto; it's on me."

Naruto paused, "Are you sure that's okay Ino?"

Ino grinned "Yeah sure!" Naruto still seemed uncertain, so she patted him on his shoulder once more, "How about this? If it'll make you feel better, you can bring me flowers on my birthday."

Naruto grinned at her, "Alright! I'll remember that." He turned to leave, "Well I better get going, I have to meet Shikamaru in about ten minutes. Thanks you're the best!"

She laughed, "Anytime Naruto."

He waved to her and turned to leave, but when he reached the shop entrance he turned and looked back at her, "Oh, Ino! I almost forgot."

She looked up at him, "Yeah Naruto?"

He grinned; "When is your birthday?"

Ino laughed, "That's right I never told you! September 23rd."

Naruto nodded and repeated the date to himself to commit it to memory, "Okay, I'll see you later Ino!"

She laughed and waved at his retreating form, "Bye Naruto! Welcome home!"


	2. Late for Favors

AN: There seemed to be some confusion over what pairing I was going for in this one. It's leaning towards NaruSaku, but I don't want to make it too blatant because they are not technically a couple (yet! I am so rooting for Naruto! I think he deserves whoever he wants!) However, as some of you pointed out; I really like the chemistry that I had going between Naruto and Ino in the first chapter so you can look forward to a NaruIno from me in the near future. Whew! Sorry for the long note! Enjoy chapter 2!

Shikamaru tapped his foot impatiently; he sighed, then shifted the canvas bag that he was carrying, from his right hand to his left.

He leaned against the building behind him and grumbled to himself as he switched hands once more. "For crying out loud Naruto! The guy asks me for a favor; sets the time himself, then he's late! He's been around Kakashi-sensei too much."

The young man heaved another irritated sigh, the set the bag down on his feet and reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out his carton of cigarettes.

"What does he want with this stuff anyway?" he easily extracted the small tube and lit it then stuck it between his teeth.

Shikamaru smoked slowly, coughing every now and then, _Man; what a horrible way to remember someone. Maybe I should listen to Ino and get rid of them._

He looked at a nearby trashcan; internally debating with himself; he reached for the lid, but in the end, the carton was tucked back into his vest pocket. To distract himself he fell to his other habit; he watched the villagers as they went about their errands and silently counted the number of Ninja that passed overhead.

There was a small cough from behind him, "Put that thing out Shikamaru; you're making me sick."

Shikamaru turned to glare half-heartedly at his tardy friend, "Shut up. You're late."

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, sorry about that. I stopped by Ino's shop to get some flowers and we ended up talking for awhile. Thanks for waiting."

Shikamaru looked questioningly at the flowers in Naruto's hand, "Okay, so what are those for?"

Naruto grinned, "They're for Sakura-chan!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Are you still barking up that tree Naruto? Don't you think it's about time you gave up? You've been trying since you were eleven."

Naruto shook his head, "No, no, it's not like that. Today is her birthday, so I wanted to do something nice for her." he grinned, "Besides, the only one who barks around here is Kiba!"

Shikamaru groaned, "Ahhh, Naruto! That's a bad joke, even for you."

Naruto laughed at himself, "Yeah, yeah, I know! I saw that mutt on the way here. I guess he got stuck in my head."

Shikamaru put out his cigarette on the wall behind him and flicked the remainder towards the trash can; at the same moment Naruto lifted the lid so that the burnt tube landed neatly on the pile of garbage.

Shikamaru leaned over and picked up the canvas bag; "Well here you are." he handed the bag to Naruto who accepted it with a grateful smile, "There's an entire rack of antlers in there. We collected them yesterday."

Naruto placed the bag on top of the trash can and peered inside, "Wow! Thanks Shikamaru! I owe you one!"

Shikamaru waved him off, "Yeah, yeah, Next time I get a troublesome assignment it's all yours."

Naruto nodded as he re-tied the bag, "You got it. Thanks a lot Shikamaru, I appreciate it."

Shikamaru leaned back against the wall once more, "Sure, no problem. What did you want them for anyway? Those are for medicine, you have no use for them."

The blond's smile widened, "Actually, they're for Sakura-chan."

There was a small grunt from Shikamaru, _Hmph, I figured as much._

"She told me that she would love to have some for her medical supplies, but that she couldn't afford them."

"Why didn't she just ask me?" Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets and frowned.

Naruto shrugged, "I said that too, but she said she didn't feel comfortable asking because the two of you aren't that close."

Shikamru stretched his arms over his head and nodded, "I see."

Naruto continued, ignoring his friend's minimal response, "Anyway; since she didn't want to ask you I did. I thought it would be a good birthday present." he looked thoughtfully at the canvas bag, "Besides, since she's the one who heals us, it's nice to know she has the best stuff around"

Shikamaru raised one eyebrow, watching his friend with new interest; "You've got a point. You thought this out more than I would have given you credit for."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows at the young genius; clearly not certain if the comment was meant to be taken as a compliment or and insult. In the end he decided that it didn't really matter and smiled at the taller man, "Yeah, well. Even I come up with clever things to say once in awhile."

Shikamaru laughed, "Yeah, too bad we'll have to wait another three years for the next one."

"Hey!" Naruto growled playfully at his friend, who grinned mischievously back at him, " You're a jerk."

Shikamaru straightened up and looked at the cloudy sky; "You know; I've changed my mind."

"Hmm?" Naruto tilted his head at the dark-haired chunnin; "About what?"

Shikamaru pointed at the blond; "You made me wait out here; it's going to rain soon, and I want tea. So you're paying."

Naruto stared at the other ninja for a moment; before laughing, "Fair enough Shikamaru; you did a big favor for me after all." He put a hand on his companion's shoulder; "Where do you want to go?"

Shikamaru stepped out into the emptying street as the villagers rushed to finish their errands before the rain started, "It's a place that opened while you were away. Come on; I like their dango."

Naruto obediently followed the other Shinobi into the street; less than five minutes later they were entering a small tea shop. Without a word Shikamaru made his way to one of the booths in the back of the shop.

Naruto sat across from him, and set aside the gifts. He was slightly surprised when less than thirty seconds later there was a perky red headed waitress beside them.

"Hello gentlemen! Here's our menu. Will you need a few moments?"

Shikamaru shook his head; "No thank you. We know what we want."

The girl produced a small pad of paper and a pencil from her pocket; "Yes sir?"

Naruto sat quietly while Shikamaru gave her their order; when he finished the waitress bowed and disappeared into the kitchen.

Naruto leaned on his hands, "It must be good here if you bothered to memorize the menu."

Shikamaru shook his head; "I didn't. I only memorized the part that I like."

Naruto snorted; "I should have known."

He had been about to continue, but the waitress returned with their order, so he let it drop, "Well that was quick."

Shikamaru nodded as he sipped his tea, "That's part of why I like it."

"Really, Mister I-like-to-take-my-own-sweet-time?"

Shikamaru grunted noncommittally; "I like to take my time enjoying my tea. That doesn't mean I want to wait forever to get it."

They talked quietly and the sky darkened outside; continuing to threaten the village with rainfall. The quiet atmosphere was shattered when the Green Beast of Konoha twirled into the shop in all his spandex-clad glory. "AH! Naruto-kun! I've found you at last!"

Naruto turned and smiled at his friend, "Hey Fuzzy-eyebrows! How's it going?"

Shikamaru groaned inwardly as Lee joined them, _Great, the one person in Konoha who is louder than Naruto and now I'm stuck with both of them. _

"I've been looking all over for you Naruto-kun!" Lee smiled and his teeth glinted in a way very similar to his eccentric sensei, "I need your help!"

Naruto gestured for Lee to take a seat, "What's up? Is everything okay?"

Lee plopped down next to the blond; "Everything is fine. I just wanted to show you a new move that I've been working on. Guy-sensei is out on a mission today, but I need a taijutsu user to help me refine it."

Shikamaru turned to the older ninja; "What about your team? The girl and that Hyuuga?"

Lee shook his head; "TenTen is a weapons specialist; she isn't really a close range fighter and Neji uses the Hyuuga style of fighting, He wouldn't be much help either; our styles are too different." he turned to Naruto, "but Naruto-kun and I have spent a lot of time sparring together. He is an excellent training partner."

Naruto grinned and gave his friend a thumbs-up, "Of course I'll help you Lee. I still have a couple of hours before Sakura-chan gets off work at the hospital."

Lee sprang out of his seat, "Excellent! Thank you Naruto-kun! Let's go!"

Naruto scrambled to pull money out of his wallet to pay for the tea, "H-hold on Fuzzy-eyebrows! Give me a second!"

Naruto just managed to throw the money on the table as the overzealous Lee grabbed onto both Shikamaru and himself and dragged them out the door at top speed.

Shikamaru glared at the back of Lee's head, "Hey let go! Why the hell do I have to go!"

One coin spun on the table before falling off the edge and landing right on top of the forgotten canvas bag and the fresh-cut daffodils that sat beside it.


	3. Fighting Penguins

AN: Haha the plot thickens! I know this one is a little shorter than the others, but I really had fun with this chapter. I like Lee a lot. He' s a fun character and he always seems to fit where no one else would! Yay Lee!

Shikamaru sighed heavily; he was leaning on a tree in the training grounds; the sky was still ominously dark, and though he could smell the impending rainfall, nature seemed to be holding back.

He turned his bored gaze to the reason he was standing out in the cold in the first place.

In the middle of the clearing Naruto and Lee were currently doing their best to kick the crap out of each other.

_This is so troublesome_. he sighed and lit a cigarette, _Why the heck am I here anyway? I didn't even get to finish my tea..._

The training session had started out innocently enough; Lee had come looking for Naruto, wanting his help finishing a move that he had been working on. Everything had been going just fine; Lee had executed the maneuver on the training stumps several times while Naruto nodded seriously to himself and made constructive comments.

After a good fifteen minutes Lee had paused in his demonstration and asked Naruto what his overall opinion was. Naruto had looked at him seriously and, without so much as a twinkle of humor in his eye; told the other ninja that he looked like; "A retarded penguin trying to do ballet."

The situation had just gone downhill from there.

After the Green Beast had recovered from the initial shock of the comment; a rather heated debate had ensued. He had eventually thrown his hands up in annoyance and challenged Naruto to a sparring match, so he could, "Prove to you the power and ingenuity of my Flaming Youth!"

Naruto had, of course, accepted the challenge without a second thought. So now, more than an hour after this had all started, Konoha's two 'geniuses of hard work' were continuing to clash in an incredible display of their unparalleled stamina.

Both ninja were sweating profusely, but it was clear that neither of them was ready to back down just yet.

Chouji leaned on the tree by his friend's side; he had been training nearby when the two loudest ninja in Konoha had begun their match; and he, like Kiba, who was currently on Shikamaru's other side; had been drawn to the noise of battle.

"Those two are insane." Chouji shook his head in disbelief, "How is it possible for anyone to have that much energy?"

Kiba snorted as he continued to watch the lightning fast movements of his comrades, "These guys are unreal. This is just freaky."

Shikamaru yawned and sank to the ground, his back still against the tree, "It's exhausting just watching them."

Kiba sat down next to his friend, "For once I agree with you. What the hell?"

Chouji sat and turned to Shikamaru, "How did all of this get started anyway?"

As Shikamaru summed up the situation for them they watched in awe as their friends continued battling with only Taijutsu.

Kiba's eyes widened, "How can Naruto's taijutsu keep up with Lee's? Looks like he wasn't just playing around while he was gone."

At that moment the two fighting nin broke away from each other sliding back in the dirt; both crouching low to the ground to catch themselves.

Lee grinned at his opponent, "Incredible! I haven't had this much fun in a spar since the last time I fought Guy-sensei!" he reached down and began to remove the weights from his legs, "You've gotten so much stronger Naruto-kun. I want to see how well I can do against you going all out!"

Naruto grinned right back at the older ninja, their disagreement forgotten in their excitement, "You too Fuzzy-eyebrows! If you want to go all-out don't expect me to hold back on the ninjutsu!"

Lee laughed as he tossed aside his weights, they landed several feet away with a loud thud; "I wouldn't want you to Naruto-kun!"

Naruto removed his jacket and threw it aside as both of them slid into their fighting stances, "Lets do this!"

Shikamaru scrambled to his feet, "Oh damn. We better get to safer ground guys."

Chouji stood without a word, but Kiba looked questioningly at the other ninja, "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru grabbed Kiba's arm and dragged him to his feet, "Think about it. When it comes to fighting, how often have you seen these guys hold back?"

Kiba jumped into the branches of the tree behind them followed by Akamaru and his voice drifted back down to his companions, "Point taken Shikamaru."

Shikamaru and Chouji joined the Inuzuka in the tree and they peered out through the branches as the fight resumed.

Half an hour later the two combatants were laying flat on their backs in the middle of the demolished training ground panting heavily.

Naruto reached over and punched Lee's shoulder playfully; "That was awesome; you almost got me with that last move."

Lee grinned and returned the gesture, "I had a hard time with those ninjutsu. Your skills have certainly improved while you were away."

Naruto laughed, "Of course, I didn't spend almost three years training for nothing."

The blond grunted as he pushed himself to his feet, then he turned and offered his hand to his friend; "Here."

Lee took Naruto's hand and let the other ninja haul him to his feet. "I gotta get going Fuzzy-eyebrows, I should take a shower and change before I go see Sakura-ch---"

Naruto's eyes widened in horror, "Oh shit."

Lee looked questioningly at his friend, "What's the matter?"

Naruto looked around frantically, his eyes finally falling on Shikamaru, who had just dropped out of the safety of his tree. He ran to the chunnin, "Shikamaru! Please tell me you grabbed Sakura-chan's presents!"

Shikamaru raised one eyebrow at the distressed blond, "Why would I have it?"

Naruto groaned, "Crap! I must have left it behind at the tea shop!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "You idiot. Why didn't you grab it before Lee hauled you away?"

Naruto grabbed at his hair, "Ahhhh! Dammit! I was so busy trying to leave money on the table that I forgot!"

Shikamaru sighed, "I have to admit, it was stupid, but at least you have a valid excuse this time."

Kiba shrugged, "Why don't you go back to the shop? The might have held onto it for you."

Naruto smiled hopefully at the Inuzuka, "You think so Kiba?"

Chouji put a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder, "It's worth a try isn't it?"

Naruto grabbed his jacket and ran to the edge of the clearing, "Yeah! Thanks guys!"

They watched as he sprang into the trees and took off at an incredible pace.

Shikamaru shook his head, "How can he still have so much energy? That guy is a freaking chakra factory!"

Naruto frowned as he walked out of the tea shop, _Crap they didn't have them..... what am I supposed to do now?_

He took to the roofs and walked slowly along them, following the path of the street, _I can probably replace the flowers, but I really wanted to give her those antlers....I would feel bad asking Shikamaru for more. Those things are expensive....._

Naruto ran a hand through his sweaty hair, "Ahhhhh! Dammit!"

Suddenly he stopped as a moment of inspiration overtook him.

"Neji! Maybe Neji can help me find them! Or maybe Hinata! I bet they could find it with Byakuugan!"

With this new thought he changed direction and sped off in the direction of the Hyuuga compound. "I hope you're home Neji! Hinata!"


	4. Shopping for Advice

AN: Hey everyone! I know it's been longer than usual since I posted the last chapter, but I've been busy with finals and I was trying to make sure that this was a good one. I had writer's block, but somehow this ended up being the longest chapter yet! For some reason I had a really hard time writing Neji..... I hope you like it anyway!

Naruto jumped off of a store rooftop, flipping through the air and landing neatly on the outer wall of the Hyuuga compound. He landed in a crouch then stood and walked along the tiled roof, heading towards the side door of Neji's apartment.

He paused when he felt the presence of another ninja behind him.

"Stop right there."

Naruto turned calmly to face the person who had called out to him, "Yeah?"

He turned and looked into the blank eyes of a Hyuuga ninja; obviously the afternoon guard; "You can't just walk into our home whenever you choose. Who are you, and why are you here?"

Naruto smiled reassuringly at the younger ninja, "Don't worry, I'm a friend of Neji's. I came to see him."

The Hyuuga frowned in disapproval, "If you are Neji-sama's friend then why didn't you come in by the front gate? I can't allow you to sneak over the wall this way. If you weren't a Konoha Ninja I would have attacked you by now."

Naruto stifled a laugh, "You aren't strong enough kid." the dark haired boy started to growl a response, but Naruto held up his hand and continued, "Anyway, Neji's place is right here, it's a lot faster this way, so why would I go all the way to the other side of the compound just to get here?"

The Hyuuga rolled his unusual eyes in exasperation, "That's not the point! You-"

Naruto turned as Neji landed beside them, "That's enough, it's alright Koyaru, he is welcome here."

The young ninja jumped at the sudden appearance of the older Hyuuga, "Oh! Neji-sama! So you know this person?"

Neji nodded, "Yes, he is a friend of both Hinata-sama and myself. You can go back to your post."

The younger ninja bowed, "I'm sorry! I'll remember your face in the future sir. Please excuse me Neji-sama."

Neji sighed, "Sorry about that Naruto, he's a recently graduated Genin, he's new to guard duty and not familiar with the regular visitors."

Naruto cringed, "Neji, do you have to speak so formally? Relax, it's not a problem."

Neji jumped off the wall, landing lightly on the patio of his apartment, "Come in, I just made tea."

Naruto followed in the wake of the older ninja, landing on the patio with a soft thud, "Thanks Neji, but actually I came to ask you a favor."

Neji walked through the open side door, and his smooth voice drifted back over the threshold, "Very well. Come in and tell me about it. My tea is beginning to boil over."

Naruto followed Neji through the spacious living room and into the kitchen; he was already familiar with the layout of Neji's home, but he was always impressed by the sheer size of the place.

_And this is just one of the apartments for the branch family!_

When he entered the kitchen Neji was already setting out the tea tray, moving through the area with his usual gracefulness. Naruto watched him, noting that Neji had set out two cups, in spite of the fact that he had declined. He smiled, _I guess I'm having tea then._

Neji set the tray on a low table, he gestured for Naruto to sit, then began pouring the tea, "Alright Naruto. What can I do for you?"

Naruto sat across from the Hyuuga and accepted the tea that Neji held out to him, "Thanks, actually, I need you to help me find something that I lost. I was hoping you could search for it with Byakuugan."

Neji tilted his head slightly at the younger shinobi, "Oh? What are you looking for? I'll help if I can."

Neji sat quietly as Naruto explained what he had lost and why he needed it back. Neji sighed lightly then shook his head, "That's impossible Naruto. I can't do it."

Naruto frowned, slouching dejectedly, "But Neji! You're the best! Can't you at least try?"

Neji sipped his tea then frowned at his blond friend, "Do you have any idea how long it would take me to check every canvas bag in Konoha?" Naruto just stared at him, so he continued, "I don't have nearly enough chakra to do that. It could take days, weeks, and there is no way that I could keep track of the ones I've checked and the ones I haven't. I'm sorry Naruto. I'd like to help you, but it can't be done."

Naruto frowned, a slight pout creeping across his face as he stared at the polished table top, "Yeah, I guess you're right...shit, now what am I going to do...?"

"Naruto. Why don't you just go back to Yamanaka's flower shop, get a new bouquet and give that to Haruno. It's better than not getting her anything isn't it?"

Naruto twisted the tea cup in his hands and watched as the steaming beverage spun in the glass, "I guess, but I really wanted to give her something special you know? Something that would make her really excited, something she really wanted."

Neji sighed, "This means a lot to you doesn't it?"

Naruto nodded, "Oh well, it's my fault for leaving it behind. Maybe I can get her a bracelet or something; she likes things that sparkle...." he trailed off thoughtfully.

The corners of Neji's mouth curved up in the beginning of a smile, _That's Naruto for you. Nothing ever fazes him for long._

Neji set his cup back on the tray, "That sounds like a good idea Naruto. There's no point in getting upset over something you can't change."

Naruto grinned and held up his fist in determination, "Right! I'll choose something else that will make Sakura-chan smile! I can find something for sure!"

Neji calmly placed Naruto's cup back on the tray and wiped away the ring of moisture that it had left on the table.

Naruto stood and stretched his arms above his head, "Well, thanks anyway Neji, but I better get going if I'm going to get Sakura-chan a new present before she's off."

Neji nodded, "I understand. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

Naruto grinned, "You were helpful Neji! You got me thinking straight. Now that I'm calm I can figure something out."

Neji stood with the tray, "Well, I'm glad you found that helpful."

Naruto waved to Neji as he walked out the door, "Yeah, you're a pretty relaxing guy. Later Neji, thanks for the tea!"

Neji waved back at his exuberant friend, "Good Luck Naruto."

After leaving the Hyuuga grounds, Naruto had taken to the rooftops once more, bounding from one building to the next.

He stopped briefly at his apartment for a quick shower and a change of clothes, then rushed to the other side of town where he knew Sakura liked to shop.

He jumped back down into the street and looked around at the faintly familiar shops; his gaze turned to one on the corner. A small clothing store, swathed in pink and advertising to the 'Fashionable Kunoichi!' He shuddered as he remembered the one time that Sakura had taken him shopping; it was something he hoped he would never experience again.

He looked away,_ Not that one. Any shop but that one..._

Naruto walked along the street, dodging small herds of female shoppers giggling to each other and rummaging through one another's bags.

He sighed, it was embarrassing to be in the area without a woman as an excuse, but he steeled his resolve and continued.

He looked from one store to the next, trying to decide which one might hold a nice gift for Sakura. He looked around helplessly, trying to figure out what the difference was; he had all but given up hope, and was just about to plunge recklessly into the nearest store and hope for the best, when he heard someone calling his name.

He whirled around, his eyes scanning the many women in the area for the source of the voice. The person who had called to him had obviously been feminine, but in a crowd of so many females, all chatting away with their high, lyrical voices he was at a loss.

Suddenly Ino and TenTen appeared above the crowd, hanging off the side of one of the buildings. Ino waved to him, "Hey Naruto!"

Naruto smiled and waved back, "Ino! TenTen!"

He made his way through the crowd to where the girls were waiting for him, "TenTen, Ino! I'm glad to see you two! This place is insane!"

TenTen smiled, "What on earth are you doing here Naruto? I thought the guys all avoided this place like the plague! "

Naruto sighed, "Normally I do, but I'm looking for a present for Sakura-chan. Everyone here is running around like they're being chased by Sound Nin!"

TenTen laughed, "It's always like this!"

Ino tilted her head at him and draped one slender arm over his shoulder, putting almost all of her weight on the taller Shinobi "Hold on Naruto, I thought you already got her a present. What happened to the flowers I gave you?" she smiled mischievously, "Was that just an excuse to see me or did you give them to some other, almost-as-pretty-as-me Kunoichi?"

Naruto looked dejectedly at her, "I'm sorry Ino-chan. I lost them."

TenTen put a hand on her hip and frowned at the younger ninja, "How do you lose a bouquet of flowers?"

Naruto sighed and told the girls about meeting Shikamaru, going for tea; Lee's sudden appearance and his quest to perfect his newest move and how it had resulted in the loss of the gifts that he had so painstakingly chosen, all the way through his conversation with Neji and finally, to his decision to come to the market and find something else for his beloved teammate.

TenTen rolled her eyes, "For crying out loud! Lee can be such an idiot sometimes!"

Ino sighed, "Well I have no problem replacing the flowers for you since it wasn't really your fault that you lost them."

Naruto smiled half-heartedly at the other blond, "Thanks a lot Ino-chan, I-"

He was cut off as a small cloud of insects flew in front of him, "Ah?"

The three ninja followed the flight of the insects and turned to find themselves looking at Shino.

The mysterious Shinobi was leaning against the wall of the building beside them; he held up one hand and the tiny bugs flew up his sleeve and out of sight.

TenTen shuddered, "That is so gross..."

Ino wrinkled her nose at him, "Can't you think of a less disgusting way of announcing yourself Shino?"

Shino straightened and moved to Naruto's side, "Hello everyone."

Naruto raised one eyebrow, "Uh, Hi Shino. I never thought I'd find you around here."

The darker nin pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, "I was just passing through."

Ino looked up at Naruto, "Uh....huh....If you say so Shino."

Naruto fidgeted under the gaze of his former classmate, "Okay then, I really have to get going." He started to turn away from his friends, "I don't have much time before Sakura-chan is off duty and I want to find a gift for her."

"Naruto wait."

Very slowly, Naruto turned back to the bug obsessed Shinobi, _Oh man, I never know what to do with this guy...._ He grinned at his companion, "Yeah Shino?"

Shino figeted with his sunglasses again, "Hinata was looking for you." Nartuto turned to face him, suddenly all ears, "She said that she found something that belongs to you."

Naruto stared at the other Ninja; Shino waited patiently for the outburst that he knew was coming, "WHAT?"

Naruto closed the distance between Shino and himself and grabbed the taller Shinobi by the shoulders, "Really Shino! Where is she!"

Without a word, Shino stepped back out of Naruto's grasp, "I saw her twenty minutes ago in the third training grounds. She said she was looking for you there."

Naruto punched the air in excitement, "Yes! Thank you Shino! I'm gonna go find her!" he waved to the Kunoichi as he jumped to the rooftops, "Thank you Ino! Thanks TenTen! I'll see you later!"

TenTen laughed and waved back to him, "Good Luck Naruto!"

Ino waved at the taller blond as he landed on the roof, "Let me know how it turns out!"

Naruto laughed as he sped away, "You got it!"


	5. Lovely Stalker

AN: Oh man! I must have re-written the beginning of this at least 4 times! I had such a hard time with this one. No matter how I started, I just wasn't liking it. So here I am, I finally got this to where it feels pretty good. Honestly not my favorite chapter, the first half is kinda 'eh' but I like the second half, so hopefully everyone else will too. I have a clearer vision for the next chapter so I know it will be better. Sorry for the long wait, but here you go.

Hinata smiled as she watched Natuto enter the flower shop; she had arrived at Naruto's apartment just as her cousin had been leaving, and she had stayed, waiting to see if she would get a chance to see the blond. She had been just about to give up and go home when Naruto had stepped out of his apartment, locking his door behind him.

Since Kuranai-sensei was out on leave, they had been limited to simple missions on the days when there were no Jounin free to go with them. Her team had easily completed their mission for the day and reported back to the Hokage as usual.

Kiba had immediately run off with Akamaru shouting something about training; Shino had slipped off in his usual mysterious fashion, mumbling about collecting new specimens. With the departure of her teammates Hinata had gone off to indulge in her favorite hobby: Watching Naruto.

_Oh Naruto-kun! He's gotten so....tall while he's been away._

As usual the blond seemed unaware of the fact that he was being followed. She moved silently from one shadow to another as the other ninja walked casually along the street with his hands deep in his pockets.

Though he was still the same Naruto that she had always admired, she could tell he had grown in more than just height. He whistled as he walked, something she had never heard him do as a child, and he moved with confidence and grace that had to be a result of his training.

_Naruto-kun....you get more amazing every time I see you... I wonder if I should talk to him...?_

She followed him as he turned into one of the main streets and made his way to the Yamanaka flower shop, The door to the shop closed with a clank and she slipped out from behind the lamppost and put her back to the wall beside the window. She reached into one of her many pockets and produced a small hand mirror. She held it in front of her and angled it so that she could see what was going on inside the store.

_The flower shop? I wonder what Naruto-kun could want here. Oh my... what will I do if he's buying flowers for a girl he likes....?_

Being a ninja, Hinata had been trained in stealth like all of her former classmates, but after spending several years watching her crush; she wouldn't allow herself to use the word stalking, she had become more adept at it than most of the other ninja in Konoha.

She was painfully aware that what she was doing was creepy, it was an obsession she knew, but she followed him in the hopes that someday she would have the courage to walk by his side.

She turned away from her thoughts and back to the mirror; she felt a twinge of jealousy and regret as she watched Ino and Naruto laughing together.

_If only I were stronger then maybe I could talk like that with Naruto-kun...._

She felt the familiar heat on her face and knew she was blushing, but she continued to watch as Ino handed a bouquet to the other blond and he started towards the door.

With a start she realized that once he came out of the store there would be no way that he would miss her. She looked around trying to decide where she could hide without having to pass in front of the window.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief when Naruto turned back to Ino; the small pause gave her the opportunity to spring onto the roof just as the taller ninja left the store.

She peered over the ledge as Naruto carefully tucked the flowers under one arm, shoved his hands back into his pockets and walked back out into the streets whistling away.

Hinata continued to follow him from the rooftops, idly wondering who the flowers were for and where he was going.

She was so caught up in her musings that she didn't notice Shikamaru until it was almost too late. She gasped and hastily retreated a few buildings before dropping into an ally and activating her Byakuugan.

_Whew! _she slumped a bit in relief when she saw that neither of the young men seemed to have noticed her, _Shikamaru-kun would have noticed for sure. I'll have to watch them from here._

She closed her eyes for a moment, _Thank goodness that I have Byakuugan!_

She watched as Shikamaru handed a bag to Naruto who accepted it happily. Shikamaru said something she didn't catch, and she smiled as Naruto pouted at his friend, before relenting with a laugh; his grin returning full force.

She moved to to roof tops again preparing to trail them as Naruto followed Shikamaru out of the ally and into the street once more.

The pale-eyed kunoichi frowned as she watched them through her Byakuugan, forced to keep some distance between the boys and herself.

She wasn't worried about Naruto catching her, she had been following him for far too long to be worried about that, but Shikamaru was a different matter.

_Shikamaru-kun is smart. He's too perceptive to miss me._

She watched as Naruto and Shikamaru sat down and ordered tea; sighing as she lay flat on her belly on the cool rooftop admiring her loved one. She jumped when Lee suddenly bounded into the shop. She had been so focused on Naruto that she had not noticed the approach of the older ninja.

She frowned as the spandex clad ninja blocked her view of the blond.

_I could use a bit more chakra to look through him but...._

She blushed furiously at the thought of what she would see during the transition and decided she should just wait.

Just as quickly as he came, Lee grabbed onto both Naruto and Shikamaru and pulled them out of the shop tearing through the street at a speed that she had no chance of matching. She watched them with her Byakuugan, slightly increasing her chakra to follow their movements.

She saw them enter the training grounds and began to follow; exasperated by the turn of events. As she stood she let her eyes rove over the area.

_Oh no!_ she jumped down into the street and entered the shop,_ Naruto-kun forgot his things!_

She reached for the forgotten items and thought briefly about asking the waitress to let her have them, but deciding it would be too much trouble to explain herself, she just took the flowers and the package and left.

She looking longingly at the daffodils in her arms and took a deep breath, inhaling the lightly sweet scent.

_I wish I knew who Naruto-kun got these for...._

She smiled sadly at the flowers, _I'd better get these back to Naruto-kun._ she blushed, _Now I have to talk to him! What should I say....?_

She followed the familiar paths to the training grounds, taking her time, O_nce Naruto-kun starts training he can work for hours._ her smile widened, _He's always getting stronger._

She approached the training grounds cautiously, reactivating her Byakuugan so she wouldn't suddenly walk into her former classmate's training.

Hinata sighed in frustration when she saw that both Kiba and Chouji had joined the others, _I'll have to move downwind or Akamaru and Kiba-kun will notice me for sure. The distance should keep Shikamaru-kun and Chouji-kun from seeing me too._

She watched in awe as Lee and Naruto fought, _I can't understand why the boys fight for fun! I know they see it as a form of bonding_ she shook her head, _but I just don't understand it._

She had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as the two combatants flopped to the ground side by side; shortly after Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Akamaru emerged from the safety of their tree; then she saw them talking. 

Naruto looked upset so she decided the risk being discovered was less important then finding out what was bothering him; she moved closer until she could hear what was being said.

Shikamaru sighed, "I have to admit, it was stupid, but at least you have a valid excuse this time."

Kiba shrugged, "Why don't you go back to the shop? The might have held onto it for you."

_Oh! Naruto-kun must have noticed that his things were missing!_

Naruto smiled hopefully at the Inuzuka, "You think so Kiba?"

Chouji put a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder, "It's worth a try isn't it?"

Naruto grabbed his jacket and ran to the edge of the clearing, "Yeah! Thanks guys!"

They watched as he sprang into the trees and took off at an incredible pace.

Shikamaru shook his head, "How can he still have so much energy? That guy is a freaking chakra factory!"

She started to call out to the blond, but her voice came out as a squeak, she let out a frustrated sigh as he disappeared into the trees.

_No, Naruto-kun! Shoot, what should I do now?_

She paced back and forth in the training grounds, hugging the packaging to her, and debating whether or not she had the courage to chase after her favorite ninja.

Hinata nearly screamed as a heavy hand fell on her shoulder; she twirled on her heel falling into a fighting stance on instinct and cursing herself for letting her guard down.

Shino raised his hand in greeting, ignoring the fact that he had just scared his teammate, "Hello Hinata."

Hinata let out the breath she had been holding and slid to her knees with the missing gifts still tucked under one arm. "Shino-kun! You scared me!"

Shino pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, "I'm surprised that you didn't notice me coming."

Hinata blushed, sensing the gentle reprimand behind the bug ninja's words, "I was thinking about something else. I'm sorry I snapped at you Shino-kun."

"It's nothing," he paused and leaned against a tree before continuing, "You were thinking about Naruto."

Hinata's blush intensified, "Why do you say that Shino-kun?"

The dark haired nin crossed his arms over his chest, "You were mumbling to yourself."

"I was?" she looked up at her friend, "Oh dear. Yes, I was thinking about Naruto-kun." she held up the packages, "These belong to Naruto-kun. He left them behind at a tea shop and I wanted to give them back to him but...."

"You got nervous and couldn't talk to him."

She tried to mutter an excuse, but she stopped when Shino put his hand on her shoulder once more, "Hinata, believe in yourself. Naruto already thinks of you as a friend. He'll be grateful to you for returning his things."

Hinata bit her lip, "You think so Shino-kun?"

Shino nodded reassuringly at her, "You're stronger than you think Hinata." he pulled away from her and put his hand back in his pocket, "You wait here. If you do I'm certain that he'll come back."

She put a hand out to him as he started to walk away, "Do you really think so Shino-kun?"

He turned back to her and nodded and Hinata could have sworn that she had seen the beginning of a smile on his face, "Yes, trust me. Naruto won't give it up easily, so give him a chance."

She started to say something else, but he sprang away in the direction of the city.

"I know Shino-kun is right, but I wonder what he is going to do. He seemed really certain that Naruto-kun is coming back here today."

She leaned on the tree that Shino had vacated, _Since Shino-kun says to, I'll wait here._

She waited for almost an hour and she hardly took her eyes off of the gifts, _I think I know who these are for now..._ she shut her eyes tightly, _Naruto-kun.... I know you like her, but, I just don't want to think about it._

She was lost in thought, but her head snapped up when she heard someone crashing heedlessly through the trees.

She looked up to see Naruto running towards her, "Hinata!"

She pushed herself away from the tree, "Naruto-kun!"

He came to a skidding halt in front of her, grinning from ear to ear, "Hinata you found them! You're the best!"

Hinata's eyes widened, "How... how did you know to come back here Naruto-kun?"

The blond looked down into her eyes, making the Hyuuga blush, "Hmmm? Shino told me that you were waiting here to give them to me."

"Oh! Shino-kun did...?"

She handed the gifts to him, "Here you go Naruto-kun. I'm glad I was able to give them back to you."

Naruto grinned as he took them from her, "Thank you Hinata, you really saved me! I owe you one."

Hinata twiddled her fingers out of nervous habit, "Oh It-it was really nothing Naruto-kun..."

He shook his head, "No, I'll make it up to you some how, but I'm in a hurry so I have to get going."

"Ah, I understand."

He ran towards the edge of the clearing, then stopped and jogged back to his friend; she looked up as he smiled at her then gently tugged a single daffodil from the bouquet and held it out to her.

His eyes softened as he looked at her, "Thank you Hinata."

She tried to stutter a response, but he suddenly threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly, "I've really gotta go, but I'll take you to lunch this week. Okay?"

"Ah-ah.....Naruto-kun....yes, thank you.."

She sank to her knees as he disappeared into the forest once more; she looked down at the flower he had given her, "I got a flower....from Naruto-kun...."

She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the blossom, and tears of happiness came to her eyes, "I got a flower from Naruto-kun!"

She stared at it for a moment more before passing out against the tree with the flower laid gently across her breast.

_Naruto-kun....._


	6. Where the heart lies

AN: Alright! The moment you've all been waiting for! I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations.

Sakura stretched as the door of the hospital closed behind her, "mmmmm, I'm finally off!" she put her hands behind her head and looked up at the sky, "Tsunade-sama _would_ have me working on a day this beautiful, even though it's my birthday."

She smiled and shrugged, "Well, I guess that being the best young medic requires some sacrifice."

Sakura put her hands behind her back as she began to walk down the front steps, "Hmmmm," she looked around at the people passing in the street and scanned the roof tops, "I wonder where Naruto is, he's the one who asked me to meet him here."

She sighed and her shoulders drooped a bit, "He's late."

She walked across the lawn, feeling the grass, cool against her exposed toes, "I'll wait for him, but if he's much later he's going to get an ear-full!"

Sakura walked to the entrance of the hospital grounds and leaned against a pillar,_ I didn't notice it while I was busy at work, but being alone on my birthday- _she corrected herself, _being without Naruto on my birthday. It's sort of gloomy._

She sighed and closed her eyes, "Hurry up Naruto."

Her eyes snapped open again when she felt familiar chakra moving in her direction at high speeds; she turned to see Naruto sprinting in her direction. He was grinning from ear to ear, but she raised an eyebrow when she realized that he was running with his hands behind his back.

_That's weird._

"Sakura-chan!" he planted his feet, sliding to a stop on the packed dirt of the street, "Hi Sakura-chan!"

She straightened up, her mood already brightening, "Hello Naruto." she frowned at him, "You're late."

Naruto grinned at her, "Sorry Sakura-chan, but I had some things to pick up."

He brought one hand forward, the bouquet of daffodils in his fist; he smiled and held them out to her, "Happy Birthday Sakura-chan."

She reached out with both hands and took the flowers from him; he felt a shiver run down his spine as her soft hands brushed against his, "Daffodils! They're my favorite!" she smiled at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat as she inhaled the light scent of the blossoms, "Thank you Naruto!"

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "I'm glad you're happy Sakura-chan. I remembered that you said you liked them, so I was hoping they would make you smile."

Sakura laughed, "Naruto, it's not just the flowers that made me smile."

Naruto stared at her, confusion creeping across his features, "Huh? They aren't...?"

She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his arm, "No stupid," she looked up into his sapphire eyes, "You did."

Naruto's cheeks flushed pink, "Me? But, I-"

She smiled affectionately at her childhood friend, "It's so sweet that you remembered what my favorite flower is." she gave him a quick hug around his shoulders, "Thank you Naruto, it's a wonderful birthday present."

Naruto shot her a foxy grin, "Well, now that I gave you something romantic, and you're all happy I can give you your real gift."

Sakura tilted her head slightly, "What are you talking about?"

He held out his other hand with a flourish and offered her the canvas bag, "I couldn't really wrap it, but I think you'll like it."

Sakura tilted her head at him, "You didn't have to do that Naruto."

He smiled and shook his head enthusiastically, "I wanted to do something nice for your birthday Sakura-chan. Go ahead, open it."

She held the flowers out to him, "Can you hold these for me?"

He smiled and took the bouquet from her, "Sure."

She took the bag and untied the strings holding it closed, _Hmmm, I wonder what he got me?_

She pried the bag open and held it up so she could look inside; Naruto watched her; eagerly awaiting her reaction.

He saw her eyes light up and he felt a smile spread across his face; a true smile, the kind that can only be achieved with the warmth you feel when you make someone you love happy.

She threw her arms around his neck, "Naruto you're the best!"

"Ack! Sakura-chan..." he held the flowers away from his body to keep them from being crushed between the overjoyed kunoichi and himself.

"I can't believe you got these for me! Naruto you're amazing!" she hugged him tighter and he blushed as her soft, warm body pressed close against his own.

He was surprised when she didn't release him right away, but continued to hug him, muttering excitedly about the antlers, which were still clutched in her hand and now poking uncomfortably into his back.

After a moment he brought his free hand to her hip, relishing the feel of her curved form in his hand. He paused, unsure of where to go from there; he looked at the sky, and a memory of a couple he had seen embracing in the street on the way to the hospital came to mind.

He felt almost giddy at the thought that Sakura was hugging him the way he had seen other girls hug their boyfriends.

Following the example of the image in his mind, he slid his hand across the small of her back; gently pulling her closer against his chest. He placed the flowers, all but forgotten in the tenderness of the moment, on a nearby bench and his other arm circled around her shoulders.

His strong arm encircled her waist and she sighed in contentment as she melted into his arms; her head falling forward to rest on his shoulder.

_Naruto.... I'm so happy that you're here with me...._

Naruto was excited, stunned, happy, comfortable and nervous all at once; his emotions swirled in his heart; along with a flood of unaccustomed feelings that he struggled to identify.

He looked down at the beautiful kunoichi nestled in his arms; it felt so natural to hold her, as though everything else in his life faded in comparison to this one moment.

In all the years he had known her, he had held her before, but only in the heat of battle when she had needed rescuing and only for the briefest of moments.

Naruto looked lovingly at the pink-haired woman as he held her, _It's so much different from hugging Iruka-sensei or Ero-sennin or Baa-chan...._

What struck him most of all; the thing that caused his eyes feel moist as he looked at the woman who knew him better than any one else; was the feeling that he was wanted.

Her affection for him seemed to radiate through her touch; warming him to the very core of his being and causing every nerve in his body to tingle with pleasure.

_She wants me here with her._

All too soon she pulled away from him; he released her reluctantly, every fiber in his being crying out for her warmth.

She smiled as she looked up into his expressive cerulean eyes, "Thank you Naruto. No one takes care of me like you do. Your really are my best friend."

Naruto blushed and his hand shot up to rub the back of his head, "Ah... thanks Sakura-chan." he smiled softly at her, "You're my best friend too." his blush deepened, "Thanks for...for making me feel wanted."

Sakura stared at him, but he looked away, his gaze suddenly fixed on a building on the other side of the street, _Making him feel wanted....... I'll make sure you always feel that way Naruto. _

She put her hand on his arm and he turned to meet her gaze once more, "Naruto I'm hungry." she grinned, "I'd like to get some dinner."

Naruto stared at her for a moment; she watched confusion crawl across his features as he tried to decide if the comment was an invitation or if she was excusing herself from the conversation.

He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts, _Well, it's worth a try..._

He smiled down at her, "Uh...Sakura-chan, since it's your birthday and everything, how about you let me take you on a date? I'll take you to dinner, then maybe we can go see a movie or something."

She grinned and scooped up her flowers before sliding her free arm around one of his, "I was hoping you would say that Naruto." she laughed, "Who better to spend my birthday with than my precious person?"

Naruto's mind reeled,_ I'm.....her precious person....?_

He looked away, hastily masking his surprise, after a moment he turned back to her, "Well, where would you like to go Sakura-chan."

She released her hold on his arm, "Hmmmmm, I'm not sure." she smiled up at him, "What do you think?"

He chewed his lower lip as he thought and Sakura found herself wondering what his lips would feel like against her skin, _They look soft, I bet they're warm too.... _she jumped, _What am I talking about! This is Naruto! I shouldn't think about him that way!_ she paused and looked at her beloved teammate, _He thinks of me this way though....._

She sighed then looked down at the gifts in her arms, _No one has ever been there for me the way he has..... because of him I'm not alone. Because of Naruto......maybe I should think of him that way. Maybe....Maybe I do..._ she held the canvas bag a bit tighter, _Did I give him my heart without noticing...?_

She closed her eyes_, I wonder if he even knows._

She jumped, startled out of her thoughts by Naruto snapping his fingers, "I've got it!" he grinned down at her, "Let's go to that restaurant at the hot spring! We could have a nice dinner, then stay over at the hotel." he laughed, pleased with his idea, "They even have a movie theater there!"

Sakura tilted her head at him, "What? Just take off, without any supplies and without telling anyone where we're going?"

Naruto grinned, "Yeah! That's half the fun Sakura-chan!" he put his hand on his hip, "We're full fledged ninja, we can do whatever we want."

Sakura didn't need any more prompting from her enthusiastic teammate, "Alright Naruto! You've convinced me! Let's go!"

Naruto took the antlers from her, "Here, I'll carry those for you."

She smiled, "Thanks" she laughed, ecstatic over the spontaneous nature of their plans, "You sure are an exciting date Naruto."

The blond blushed, "Sakura-chan....I...Thanks!"

They turned and began to walk side-by-side towards the main gate; after a moment of hesitation Naruto reached behind the girl of his dreams and put his arm around her shoulders.

There was a moment of panic, where he wondered if she would be offended by the gesture. He bit his lip, trying to decide if she would just yell at him or punch him before storming off in a rage.

He nearly shouted in triumph when she not only allowed the possessive embrace, but she moved closer to him; pressing her body flush against his own and matching her stride to his.

Instead he let out the breath he had been holding and smiled softly at the pink-haired head that was resting softly against his shoulder.

_Sakura-chan...._

Tsunade and Jiraiya stood side by side looking down on the pair from the Hokage's medical office on the 4th floor of the hospital.

Jiraiya punched the air excitedly; looking suspiciously like his current blond student, "Yeah! That's my boy! Just like his teacher! I knew you had it in you Naruto!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes and flicked him in the back of his head; careful to hold back the super-human strength that she was known for, "Shut up you pervert. Naruto's nothing like you."

The white-haired Sannin pouted at her as he rubbed the back of his head, "What are you talking about Tsunade? The boy learned from the best!"

The vein in the Godaime's forehead throbbed menacingly and Jiraiya took an involuntary step back out of range of her fists.

She sighed and looked down at the retreating forms of her student and the young man she treasured above all others, "He's more like Minato."

Jiraiya sighed and sat down on the windowsill, "Yeah? How do you figure?"

Tsunade growled in annoyance, "You moron. He's certainly not a pervert like you! When she hugged him he kept his hands on her back. If he had taken after you he would have been pummeled into the street because he tried to grab her ass!"

Jiraiya nodded as though he was considering her reasoning, "I suppose you've got a point, but you have to admit, he knows more about women now than he did when we left."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, he probably learned what _not _to do from watching you!"

He pouted at her again, "That's not fair Tsunade. Just because I never got into your pants......."

The Hokage blushed furiously, "You damn pervert!"

He cringed as her fist flew towards his chin; it connected and he crashed though a nearby wall causing a nurse to scream and drop her clipboard on the unconscious Hermit's head.

Tsunade took a deep breath to calm herself, "Well, I suppose I can spare them both for a couple of days. That'll be my birthday present to you Sakura." she smiled at the thought of her favorite loud mouthed ninja, "Naruto...you just deserve it."


	7. Shifting boundaries

Naruto ran his hand up Sakura's arm and squeezed her shoulder, wondering how long she was going to allow him to hold her. She sighed and snuggled closer to him, her arm slipping underneath his and pressing her hand lightly against his back.

He tensed slightly, surprised by the affectionate gesture, but she just smiled to herself and pretended not to notice.

Sakura looked up at the massive trees, admiring the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves and sighed in contentment, "Fire country really is beautiful isn't it?"

Naruto smiled and looked down at her, "Yeah, it is. We could get there a lot faster, but it's sort of nice to take our time and enjoy the scenery for once."

She looked up at him with a playful smile, "I can't believe you came up with something like this."

He raised one eyebrow as he looked at her, "What are you talking about?"

She grinned, "Just taking off like this. I didn't think you had it in you."

He laughed, "You didn't? I used to do it all the time when I was a kid. It's fun to be able to take off whenever you want to." he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, "I haven't been able to do this in awhile though, you know how busy we get."

Sakura tilted her head at him, "I'm not sure 'busy' is the right word for it Naruto." she clutched the back of his jacket, entwining her fingers in the orange fabric; she looked away as the Atkatsuki crossed her mind.

Naruto was surprised when he felt her tighten her grip on him and he looked down at her, "Sakura-chan...?" he frowned at the back of her head while she was stared out into the forest, deep in thought.

He frowned as he took in her suddenly serious mood, Naruto watched her intently as they continued to walk in silence. _She shouldn't be so serious on her birthday, I make her worry too much._ He took a deep breath as he tried to think of a way to lighten the mood.

He gulped, then in a lighting fast movement he swept his beloved kunoichi off her feet and swung her through the air before catching her in his arms.

The sudden movement startled her out of her thoughts and she stared up at him in shock, "Naruto! What was all that about?"

He grinned mischievously at her, "You looked so serious just now that I wanted to lighten your mood." he tossed her in the air once more and caught her carefully, "I was debating between tickling you, and sweeping you off your feet. I decided to go with the one that was less likely to get me flattened."

He grinned at her, hiding his apprehension as he waited for her reaction. She glared at him for a moment, then smacked him on the back of his head. For a moment he thought he had pushed his luck too far, but then she laughed and threw her arms around his neck, letting the flowers hang across his back.

"Naruto! You're such an idiot! Only you would 'lighten' someone up like that!"

The blond grimaced, "Owww Sakura-chan..... I was just trying to cheer you up!"

Sakura grinned at him, "I wasn't unhappy, I'm having fun with you. I was just thinking about--" she bit her lip, abruptly ending her sentence.

Naruto tilted his head at her, "What were you thinking about Sakura-chan?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, don't worry about it."

He frowned, _She's always worrying about everyone._

He turned away; a distracted look on his face, and she frowned at him, trying to regain his attention. When he didn't respond, she pinched his shoulder, "Naruto! Quit zoning out!"

He winced and turned his attention back to the woman in his arms, "Ouch! What was that for?"

Sakura stretched her legs and Naruto shifted to accommodate the movement, "You're supposed to be paying attention to me."

Naruto smiled as he gazed into her sea foam green eyes, "Sorry Sakura-chan." he shifted his hold on her slightly, pulling her closer to his chest, "Don't worry! My attention is all yours!"

Sakura laughed and leaned back in his arms, trusting him to hold onto her, "Good! I'm feeling selfish today!" her cheeks took on a rosy tinge and she smiled at him, "I think I'm getting a bit spoiled Naruto."

"Good! I wanted you to feel spoiled today," he grinned at her, "Today's an important day to me too!"

She tilted her head at him, "Today is special to you too?"

He laughed, "Of course! Today, 16 years ago is when you were born! It's also special because this is the first time we've left Konoha alone, just the two of us....." he trailed off as he felt himself starting to blush.

She smiled and released her hold on him; he sensed her wishes and set her on her feet, "You're right Naruto. Today is a really important day."

Sakura looked into the mesmerizing depths of his eyes, _Today I've begun to realize what you mean to me._

Her mouth opened then shut again as she tried to speak, wanting him to understand what she had learned about herself in a few short hours. Her eyes fluttered to her feet when words failed her, _Maybe I'm not ready to tell him yet._

He was still watching her expectantly so instead she pivoted on the ball of her foot so she was back at his side, then she grabbed his hand, entwining her slender fingers with his.

Naruto smiled and tried to fight the heat that was rising in his cheeks; he took the antlers from her and threw them over his shoulder, letting the canvas bag swing against his back.

Dusk was approaching when they finally reached the hot spring resort, Naruto grinned and turned to Sakura, "What do you want to do first Sakura-chan? Dinner, a movie, relax in the hot spring, or did you want to go shopping in the outdoor market?"

She smiled back at him, tingling with anticipation, "How about we go check in first? Then we can put the flowers in water and we can leave our things in the room." 

He laughed and squeezed her hand, "That's my Sakura-chan! You always were the smart one! Let's go."

Together they made their way through the crowd of their fellow resort goers and entered the main hotel building. There was no line, so Naruto sauntered right up to the registration desk, the girl behind the counter sat up straighter and smiled at them, "Hello! Welcome to the hot springs, would you like to register for a room?"

Naruto smiled right back at her, "Hello! Yes, we would like to register for one night. Do you have two singles available?"

Sakura frowned and grabbed his arm, pulling him a few feet away, she frowned, "Naruto, this place isn't cheap. Isn't getting two rooms too expensive?"

Naruto grinned and put his hand on her shoulder, "You let me worry about that Sakura-chan. This is all my treat."

She shook her head, causing her strawberry hair to whip around her face, "Naruto, how are you supposed to afford that?"

He laughed, "Tsunade Baa-chan made Ero-sennin pay back all the money he borrowed from me over the last three years." he gave her a thumbs up, "I've been working again, so it's extra cash."

She laughed, "I can just imagine the way that conversation went! Tsunade-sama never did like the fact that Jiraiya-sama took money from you."

"Yeah! Anyway, you don't have to worry about anything, I've got it covered."

He started to turn back to the now impatient hotel employee, but Sakura grabbed his arm again and pulled him back around to face her, "Well at least don't waste your money, just get a double room." 

Naruto blushed, and looked down at his feet, "Y-you and me....share a room...?"

She tilted her head at him, slightly amused by his reluctance "Yes. Why not? We've shared rooms before."

He shifted uncomfortably, and fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket, "That's true...but..." his head snapped up and he watched her with conflicting emotions swirling in his sapphire eyes, "That was different Sakura-chan! We were with Kakashi-sensei and S--, or, or, you know! The others! We've never slept in a room alone before!"

She laughed, "Naruto! Are you actually _nervous_ about sleeping in a room alone with me?" she patted his shoulder reassuringly, "It's not a big deal! I know you'll be a gentleman." her eyes took on a dangerous glint, "You know what would happen if you tried anything..."

Naruto shrank away from her as he envisioned the consequences of the half-veiled threat, "O-of course Sakura-chan! I would never do anything....anything ah...rude."

_Not to mention what Baa-chan would do to me..._ he shuddered at the thought.

Sakura smiled, "I know Naruto! Anyway, we have slept alone together before." he looked at her quizzically, so she sighed and continued, "We've shared tents before, we've even shared rooms before. So someone was in the next room, I really don't see the difference."

Naruto half-smiled, then nodded at her, "Alright Sakura-chan, you win."

He calmly turned back to the receptionist, but in his head he was shouting in triumph and shaking his fists in his own personal victory dance, "Sorry about that miss. We've changed our minds. Do you have one double available?"

The dark-haired woman looked him up and down appreciatively, then she looked around him to wink at Sakura, who blushed, "Why yes I do." she handed him a clipboard, "Just fill out this form and then sign here and I can give you your keys, you can pay the bill when you check out."

Naruto smiled as he cut the stems of the daffodils and placed them in a cup of water that he had gotten from room service, "There, that looks nice." he set the cup on the nightstand, "I wonder if Sakura-chan is done changing yet."

He heard a door slide open, and he turned to see Sakura step out of the bathroom, now wearing the hotel's guest robe, "Your turn Naruto."

She smiled at him as she tucked her hair back with headband that they had picked up at the shop in the lobby when they had gone to buy toothbrushes. Naruto picked up his bundle of robes and walked to the bathroom door, "I'll be quick Sakura-chan, then we can go to the hot spring."

She smoothed the folds of the robe and turned sideways to admire her reflection in the mirror above the dresser, "Sounds good Naruto."

Sakura caught Naruto's hand as they made their way to the other side of the hotel where they could bathe in the hot spring. After a moment she looked down at her hand that Naruto held loosely in his own, her hand looked so small in his grasp, his tan fingers almost completely hiding her pale digits. He squeezed her hand and she tightened her grip, feeling warm and safe in his presence.

"Naruto?" he looked down at her so she continued, "Naruto, you've been telling me you liked me since we were in the academy, but you never said _why _you like me."

Naruto laughed, "Why are you asking now Sakura-chan?"

She pouted at him, "Don't laugh, I'm really curious, what is it you like about me so much?"

He put his free hand to his chin, "Hmmmmm, why exactly do I like Sakura-chan so much.....?" he smiled down at her, "Because you're Sakura-chan!"

Sakura glared at him, "Naruto! Be serious, I want to know!"

He shrugged, waving off her annoyance, "That's just it Sakura-chan! I like you because you are who you are! Ever since we were in the Academy I liked you because you always seemed to be nice to everyone." he laughed, "Well except for Ino!"

She frowned at him, "Don't say that Naruto. I was horrible to you back then. It's not something I'm proud of."

He shook his head, "Don't say it like that Sakura-chan. I never held it against you. I always assumed that I had done something to offend you. But enough about--"

Sakura stopped in her tracks, yanking him to a halt, "You? You never did anything! I was stupid and young! I didn't know how much it hurt you...."

He raised his hands, fending off her enthusiastic objections and her guilt, "It's not a big deal Sakura-chan! Really! I was the one following you around all the time!"

She fought the urge to stamp her foot, knowing that if she lost her temper she could seriously damage the hotel, "That doesn't make it right. Anyway, I don't remember seeing you much until the last couple of years of training. You were always at the center of any trouble around that time."

"Haha, yeah, but Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji were usually right there next to me being chewed out by Iruka-sensei. That was later though, when we were kids, I just tried to stay out of everyone's way," he paused, putting his chin in his hand, as he thought back to their days at the academy, "But let's not talk about that. Today is about you."

Sakura squeezed his hand, "Maybe, but you're a part of me now Naruto." she smiled as she gazed up at him, "I've realized that I don't know much about your childhood. Sure we were in the same class, but I never really saw you outside the classroom."

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and gently pulled his hand from her grasp, then turned and smiled at her, "Let's not talk about it today Sakura-chan. Ask me another day okay?"

She clenched her fist, missing the feel of his hand in hers, "Yeah,okay Naruto. Another time." she felt her eyes growing moist, "Promise?"

He took a deep breath; internally debating whether or not it was a promise he would be willing to keep; finally he smiled, "If that's what you want Sakura-chan. I promise."

She frowned at his obvious reluctance, and she felt guilt gnawing at the back of her mind for bringing the subject up, _I shouldn't have said anything._

Naruto grinned at her, his discomfort hidden almost flawlessly beneath his blinding smile that only a few could see past, "Well, have a nice bath Sakura-chan! I'll meet you out here in an hour okay?"

She barely heard him as she looked up through watery eyes; there was a moment of panic, when she saw him turn his back to her and walk away.

Sakura stumbled after him, flattening herself against his well-muscled back, "Naruto!"

He turned back to her, surprised by the outburst, "S-sakura-chan?"

She smiled up at him, grabbing fist-fulls of his jacket, "You have me Naruto." she locked eyes with him, trying to force all her emotions into her gaze; hoping he would see it and understand.

Naruto smiled down at her where she was pressed against him. After a moment he leaned down and gently brushed his lips against her forehead, "I know. Thank you Sakura-chan."

He pulled away from her, grinning as he propelled her towards the ladies' bath; she turned back to him and smiled, then closed the door behind her.

She took a few steps into the dressing area and sank to her knees with her hand to her forehead, relishing the memory of his warm lips against her skin.


	8. Hide and Seek at the Hotspring

AN: Oh my gosh I'm finally continuing this story! Once again I apologize for the long wait, but I've been busy (it seems like I'm busy all the time these days!) but here it is! As an apology I've written a super-chapter that is twice as long as all the previous chapters! Thanks for waiting, I hope everyone likes it!

Tsunade smiled as she poured two glasses of sake, "He really has grown a lot over the last few years hasn't he?"

Jiraiya turned to his former teammate and accepted the glass that she held out to him, "Sure has. It happened so fast though. One day he was just this silly hyperactive brat following me around, but almost without me noticing he grew into a very promising young ninja."

The Hokage leaned on the railing beside her companion, "He'll be a great Hokage one day," she smiled, "Once he calms down a bit more. His parents would be proud."

"Yeah," Jiraiya sipped his drink, "I'm proud of him too. He may as well be my own grandson."

"He practically is anyway," Tsunade laughed, "I can see the resemblance!"

Jiraiya gulped down his sake and she refilled the cup, "He's like you in a lot of ways." she smirked, "aside from the fact that he's not a _complete_ pervert."

The Toad Sage snorted, "It's RESEARCH you old hag." Tsunade glared at him threateningly and he quickly changed the subject, "What about your student? She's taken after you as well. She's an excellent medic, pretty, smart, determined..... and violent as hell."

She smiled, "Yes, I'm so proud of her."

Jiraiya reached for the bottle and refilled her drink, "I am sort of surprised though..."

"hmm?"

"You let them out of the village without an escort." he smiled and winked at her, "Don't get me wrong, I have faith in Naruto's ability to hold his own, and Sakura isn't the type to let him fight alone, but you're going to hear about this from those obnoxious elders."

Tsunade smiled mischievously, "I will if they ever hear anything about it. Besides, who said I let them go out alone?"

"You sent a team to keep an eye on them?"

She laughed, "Not exactly." the white-haired sannin tilted his head at her so she continued, "I'm not as worried about them getting attacked as I am about making sure they behave themselves; after all it's not as though they're going very far." she smiled at him, "I merely told Ino and Tenten what was going on. They love to be in on all the latest gossip, but unfortunately all I could tell them was where our darling students were headed...."

Jiraiya laughed, "That's very sneaky of you Godaime-sama, so when Naruto figures out what's going on you can claim that you had nothing to do with it huh?"

Tsunade downed her sake, her cheeks flushing with the alcohol in her system, "Something like that. Of course it only matters if he notices, and he'll be distracting Sakura so much that she probably won't notice either."

Jiraiya laid his arm across her shoulders, "Oh trust me, he'll notice. He's improved more than you know while we were away." he gave her a sly look, "I know you trained her well, do you really think Sakura will be that distracted by him?"

The blond nodded, "She lets her guard down when she's around him; I think it's because she feels safer with him nearby. I don't know if she'll ever admit it; well I don't know if she even realizes it herself, but Sakura loves him. Even if she never says it, it's true."

They stood in a companionable silence for several long moments, but she looked up into the face of her lifelong friend when he squeezed her shoulders.

He was looking up at the clouds drifting overhead and when he spoke his voice was almost a whisper, "It's almost scary how much they act like us isn't it?"

Tsunade's eyes widened a bit, then her expression softened and she smiled as she looked out over the city, "Yes."

She leaned into Jiraiya's side and he looked down at her, "That's why we have to keep them from making the same mistakes that we did. I don't ever want to see those kids sad."

"Yeah."

Ino tried to suppress the grin that was spreading across her face as she watched Naruto kiss Sakura's forehead before sending her off to the hot spring.

She had been watching from a distance as her friends interacted, and thanks to years of developing her senses she had heard most of the conversation.

The blond looked back at her companions hoping that they would share her enthusiasm; Sai was scribbling notes on a scroll with one hand and flipping through the pages of a book with the other while he muttered to himself.

Chouji was watching the situation unfold with mild interest, and Shikamaru was busy digging a cigarette out of his pocket, seemingly unaware of what had happened.

He flicked his lighter and held the small flame up to his face, but before he could light the cigarette Ino snatched the lighter from his hand and shoved it into his vest pocket.

Shikamaru grunted in annoyance as Ino tugged on his arm, pulling him deeper into the bushes where they were hiding.

She leaned towards him and whispered harshly in his ear, "Shikamaru, could you at least try to conceal yourself? At this rate even Naruto will notice you!"

Chouji leaned between them and shoved a chip into his mouth, "Actually he's gotten pretty good, the only reason they haven't noticed is because--."

Ino glared at him out of the corner of her eye, "Whatever, that's not the point. You're going to ruin everything if you get us caught."

Sai carefully tucked his book and his scroll back into his backpack, "So Ino-san, does this mean that Naruto and Sakura are lovers now?"

The blond gaped at the young anbu, "Sai-kun you...." she sighed and rubbed her temples, "It's really not that simple. I'll try to explain it to you later."

"But the kiss--"

Ino cut him off before he could get started with his awkward theories on human behavior, "Later Sai-kun."

Sai started to protest, but Ino silenced him with a look, so he retrieved another book from his backpack and began scanning the pages.

The blond rolled her eyes as she turned back to her teammates, "Sheesh that guy..." she looked back in the direction of the baths, "Hmm, I can't see them anymore."

Shikamaru waved her off, "Of course not, they were going into the bath remember?"

Chouji grinned, "Mmm, I want to try the baths too, this resort is really nice."

They heard a rustling overhead and they looked up to see Tenten waving for them to join her; Ino grinned and jumped to the older girl's side with Sai close on her heels.

Shikamaru looked at Chouji, but he just shrugged so they reluctantly joined the girls.

Tenten grabbed Ino's hands excitedly, "I got us a couple of rooms and I stole a glance at the hotel sign-in sheet, our rooms are right across from theirs! So what'd I miss? Anything good?"

Shikamaru groaned, "Only two? You mean I have to share a room with these two?" he rolled his eyes, "Just great, Chouji snores so loud it makes my teeth rattle and that guy" he gestured towards Sai, "he's just too troublesome."

Ino waved off her teammate's protests and turned her attention back to the older kunoichi at her side.

She grinned mischievously as she told Tenten what had happened while she had been away, "I wish we had brought a camera, this I had no idea that Naruto was so...so adorable!"

The dark-haired girl pouted, "No way! I can't believe I missed it! That would have been perfect blackmail material."

Ino nodded, "I know, I wish we had sent Shikamaru or Chouji to get our rooms. You would have loved it. I never knew he was such a big softie."

Shikamaru reached for his lighter again and this time Ino did nothing to stop him; he inhaled deeply and let it out with a sigh, "This is such a pain." he tilted his head toward Chouji, "How the hell did we get dragged into this?"

"Beats me, do you really want to argue with them though?" Chouji stuffed his snacks back into his pocket, "So why are we here anyway Ino? You keep saying that this is a mission, but what's the point in spying on Naruto and Sakura?"

The blond scoffed, "I said it would be _like_ a mission. Besides isn't it obvious? If we didn't follow them then we'd probably never know what went on here, and where's the fun in that?" she grinned, "Anyway, someone has to make sure they behave themselves."

Tenten nodded enthusiastically, "Right! Think of us as chaperons."

Sai smiled at the girls, "It is also an excellent opportunity for me to observe the personal interactions of my teammates."

There was a low chuckle from below them and they all looked down to see Naruto leaning against the base of the tree with his arms crossed, "So should I plan on you guys joining us for dinner or would you rather just spy on us while we eat?"

Sai and Shikamaru seemed unsurprised by their friend's sudden appearance but Ino sputtered incoherently as he joined them in the tree, "Wh-when did you..?"

Naruto smiled at his fellow blond, "I suspected someone was following us as we left Konoha, but I wasn't sure until we were a few miles out." his eyes lit up with the grin spreading across is face, "At first I thought it might be an enemy, but Shikamaru tipped me off."

The young genius smiled and took another drag of his cigarette, "It'd be too much trouble if you decided to confront us. You have a habit of attacking first and asking questions later."

Naruto laughed and shrugged, "Well I can't argue with that."

Ino and Tenten glared at the offending shinobi and Chouji put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.

The blue eyed ninja turned to Ino and moved closer to her, "So you really think I'm adorable huh Ino-chan?" He shot her a foxy grin causing the shorter blond to back away from him slightly.

"I think you said I was a 'big softie' too."

It took Ino a moment to recover from the effects of his fathomless sapphire eyes and the suggestive way that he was looking at her, but she soon regained her composure and went on the offensive.

He smiled a little wider, with a mischievous glint in his eyes; Ino tilted her head and smiled right back at him, no longer fazed by the taller ninja's behavior.

She reached up and placed one slender hand on his chest; and he stared at her in confusion as her other hand came up to squeeze his arm.

Ino took a step forward and winked at him, "Well when you say it that way..."

Naruto backed away from her, a light blush coming to his cheeks; but she kept moving closer until his back was pressed against the tree, "Ino I..."

She put a finger to her lips and traced his jaw line with one finger; then she leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear.

He fidgeted uncomfortably as her warm breath tickled the sensitive skin, "You know, if things don't work out with Sakura there's always me Naruto."

Naruto's face flushed scarlet and Ino pulled away with a laugh, "That's how it's done. You've got a lot to learn if you think you can beat me like that!"

The taller ninja slumped with relief when she backed away from him, but the blush lingered on his cheeks, "No fair...if I had gone that far you would have punched me in the face!"

Ino smiled and gave him a thumbs-up, "That's why it's better to be a girl."

Tenten laughed, "She's got a point, it does give us the advantage."

Sai stared at them, fascinated by the exchange, "Being a girl creates some sort of advantage?" he held is chin in his hand as he thought, "But being male acts as a handicap, allowing the female to punch the offending male if he trespasses on some unknown physical boundary?"

Chouji sighed and quickly changed the subject before Sai could continue, "So Naruto, if you knew you were being followed why didn't you say anything to Sakura?"

The blond shrugged, "I was going to, but after I realized who you were I decided it was better to not say anything. If she knew our friends were spying on us she would be angry," he shuddered at the thought, "You all know how she gets when she's angry, and she wouldn't hold back on any of you, that's for sure."

Chouji nodded seriously, "I think it was for the best. I really don't want to get on her bad side."

Shikamaru grinned as he put out his cigarette, "Oh? And what were you planning to do if she noticed us on her own and you hadn't said anything?"

"Play dumb, of course!" he laughed, "She'd believe it, and as much as I like you guys, if you piss off Sakura-chan I'm not getting in the middle. I've already been on the receiving end of those punches way too many times to risk it."

He tilted his head at Shikamaru, "Y'know, I'm not too surprised to see Sai here, but I'm impressed that Ino got you guys to go along with this."

The dark haired ninja shrugged, "When Ino wants something, she's a lot like Sakura, nothing can deter her. She's not the kind of girl who'll take no for an answer. Besides, with Tenten backing her up it was easier to just go along with it."

Naruto frowned, _Damn he's lazy!_ he looked back at the girls who were trying to explain what had happened to Sai; both kunoichi appeared frustrated, but Naruto was grateful for the distraction; he turned back to Chouji and Shikamaru and spoke to them in hushed tones.

He sighed, "Isn't there anything you can do? I was kind of hoping for some time alone with Sakura-chan."

Shikamaru frowned, "Just what am I supposed to do?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You're a genius. Think of something."

Ino smiled as she leaned over Naruto's shoulder, "There's nothing he can do about it. We're here because we're supposed to be."

The taller blond raised an eyebrow at her, "What are you talking about?" his eyes widened, "Wait, how did you even know where to find us?"

Tenten smiled and leaned on his other shoulder, "That's just it. Godaime-sama is the one who told us where you were going."

"Huh? Baa-chan sent you? Why would she do that?" he blinked and put his chin in his hand, "and how the hell did she know about this? We decided without telling anyone..."

Shikamaru sighed, "She apparently overheard you two talking in front of the hospital." he shot the shorter ninja a meaningful look, "Godaime mentioned that she didn't think it was a good idea for you and Sakura to be out of the village by yourselves."

Naruto's shoulders drooped at the subtle mention of the constant danger that followed him everywhere he went, but Shikamaru ignored it and forged ahead with his explanation, "She didn't specifically tell us to follow you, she manipulated the girls into doing it on their own."

Ino frowned, "I wouldn't put it that way!" she shrugged at Naruto, "She just told us what was going on."

"Yeah, she did it knowing that after hearing something like that the two of you wouldn't let them out of your sight!" Chouji laughed at the annoyed looks the girls sent his way, "Face it, she used your own nosy nature against you."

Shikamaru nodded, "There's no one better to keep track of someone than a curious female."

Naruto laughed, "I see, so that's how it was." he tilted his head at them, "But still, I'm surprised that you guys got involved."

Chouji shrugged, "We were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Ino rolled her eyes, but Naruto ignored her, "Well, I'm heading off to enjoy my bath while I still have time. You guys are welcome to join me if you want." he looked warily at Sai, "Except you. You can't come because you're a pain in the ass. Always saying freaky things..."

Sai smiled pleasantly at his teammate, "That's alright I would rather go do some reading, you and Sakura have given me quite a bit of material to study, besides, I've already seen your--"

He was cut off as a Naruto clone popped into existence and tackled him, covering his mouth and knocking the other ninja out of the tree.

The remaining ninja looked over at Naruto; he was glaring at the place where Sai and his clone had disappeared in the bushes and his cheeks were tinged with pink, "That guy just doesn't know when to shut the hell up!"

Naruto took a deep breath then he turned back to the girls, "I don't see any reason why you can't go, but you'll have to think of a good excuse to tell Sakura-chan," he grinned, "Or use a henge, just promise to leave me out of it!"

Tenten started to respond but he dropped out of the tree and began walking back towards the baths; Shikamaru and Chouji shrugged then jumped down and jogged to their friend's side.

The girls were left alone frowning at their backs; after a moment of silence Tenten turned to the blond girl at her side, "I want a bath too. So, what do you think we should tell her?"

Ino frowned, "Are you crazy? I'm not telling her we're here!" she crossed her arms over her chest, "We'll use a henge."

Naruto sighed in contentment as he lowered himself into the hot spring beside Shikamaru; Chouji leaned forward so he could see past the young genius and smiled at the blond, "You know, this makes all the trouble with the girls worth it; and it's great that we've got it all to ourselves."

Shikamaru smiled and leaned back against the wall of the bath, "I think you're right. We may have gotten dragged here against our will, but this really wasn't such a bad idea."

Naruto grinned and stretched his arms out over the water, "This is a really nice hot spring, and I have to admit, it's more fun having someone to talk to than hanging out in here by myself."

The blond leaned his head back and closed his eyes, with a chuckle, "Even if you're only here to spy on us."

He heard his friends shift beside him and he opened one eye; Shikamaru was watching him with a mildly irritated expression, "What's the matter?"

Chouji sighed, "We didn't come just because the girls dragged us here."

The blond laughed, "Let me guess, you used this as an excuse to take some time off. You guys are so lazy!"

"Naruto, that's not what this is about." Shikamaru stretched his arms above his head, then fixed his friend with a stern look, "We didn't think it was a good idea for you to be wandering around outside of Konoha without backup."

Naruto smiled reluctantly, "Come on what are you talking about?"

Chouji splashed his friend and Shikamaru grumbled a protest as he was caught in the attack, "Naruto, don't play dumb, we already figured out what's been going on; we've been in the loop for awhile. Shikamaru's even been helping predict the Atkatsuki's movement."

Naruto looked startled so the large ninja smiled reassuringly, "You don't have to try to explain, it doesn't matter. We're your friends; you always try to look out for us, we're just returning the favor." he shrugged, "Besides, by now most of us know about It. It's not a big deal for us."

"Naruto, I know you like to be impulsive, but next time let someone in on your plans," Shikamaru smirked at the shocked blond, "I know you're a student of one of the Legendary Sannin, and I know that you're really strong, but you don't have to fight by yourself. You and Sakura are our comrades, the two of you can't handle everything alone."

Chouji grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "Yeah, we may not be students of the Sannin, but our teacher was pretty famous too. You can count on us."

The normally hyperactive blond stared at them as he ran through everything they had said over and over again, trying to decide what to say.

Shikamaru put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "We're not the only ones who know about this. It's alright, no one cares. You're one of us; that's what's important."

Chouji nodded, "That's right, we'll stick with you!"

After a moment of silence Naruto grinned at them, "Thanks guys," he let himself sink a littler lower into the bath as he rested his head against the edge of the hot spring, "It's nice to know you've got my back." he sighed, "Still, I was hoping for some....alone time with Sakura-chan."

Chouji laughed, "We hear you. Don't worry, we'll make sure the girls 'lose track' of you for awhile."

Shikamaru groaned, "Ah what a pain! We'll do it, but you're buying us dinner!"

"Fine, fine!" he eyed Chouji, "That's really gonna cost me but it'll be worth it."

The three ninja sat in companionable silence as they soaked in the steaming bath; suddenly there was a shout from the other side of the wall that separated the men's bath from the women's followed by a loud splash.

Chouji chuckled, "Sounds like Sakura just discovered the other girls."

"You know, you would think that they would be a little more subtle than that," Shikamaru smirked, "I wonder what Ino is going her as an excuse."

Naruto stared wide-eyed in the direction of the women's bath, "Whatever they tell her I really hope that they leave me out of it."

Naruto stretched, enjoying the way the hot spring had loosened his muscles, as he followed Chouji and Shikamaru out of the bath, "Mmm that felt really good." he looked around, scanning the area, "Looks like Sakura-chan isn't out here yet. I think we still have a few more minutes."

Chouji nodded, "So how do you want to do this? Should we leave then come back and pretend to find you again?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "That won't work. Sakura has already seen Ino and Tenten. If it was just Tenten that would work, but Ino is our teammate; she'll be suspicious if we have different explanations as to why we're here."

"So what should we do?"

"We should just wait here with Naruto; the girls will probably come out together, and Ino will find a way to tell us whatever she told Sakura. I think that's the safest bet."

Naruto crossed his arms, "Hmmm, I think we're forgetting something..." he trailed off, lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly he snapped his fingers and turned to Shikamaru, "I know! What about Sai? What are we gonna do about that guy?"

Shikamaru groaned and put one hand to his forehead, "I almost forgot that he came here with us, he's gonna be a problem. He's not only out of place just hanging out with us, but he has no idea when to stop talking."

"There's not much we can do about that at this point," Chouji shrugged, "We'll just have to cover for him as best we can. How about I go find him and see if I can get him to understand."

Naruto nodded, "Please take care of it for me Chouji, I have to stay here for Sakura-chan."

The larger ninja nodded, "I understand."

He stopped when Shikamaru put his hand on his friend's arm, "Too late. Look."

He nodded in the direction of the women's bath; both Naruto and Chouji turned to follow the young genius' gaze.

Naruto groaned, "Crap it's the girls, we don't have time to find Sai. This could get ugly."

Shikamaru patted the blond on the shoulder, "Don't worry so much, this is some time off not a mission."

Naruto turned and looked at his friend, "Have you ever been punched by Sakura-chan?"

Both of his companions shook their heads, and Naruto shuddered, "Believe me, she can be scarier than anything a mission can dish out. Given the choice between an S-rank and facing Sakura-chan when she's mad...I'll take the S-rank anytime, it's less dangerous!"

Naruto suppressed another shudder as his gaze wandered back towards the approaching kunoichi; he froze and his eyes widened in horror.

Chouji placed one large hand on his friend's shoulder, "Naruto? What's wrong now?"

The blond continued to stare as he pointed towards the girls, "We are so screwed." his friends looked at him in confusion, then back towards the bath, "Sai is already with the girls..."

Shikamaru grimaced, "Ah crap! He's gonna give us away for sure! Damn, why did I let Ino and Tenten drag me out here?"

Sakura's eyes lit up as she spotted them, "Naruto!"

Ino, Tenten, and Sai followed her as she jogged up to her teammate, "There you are!" she smiled, "I see you met up with Shikamaru and Chouji, I was surprised when Sai told me that they were on a training mission, but this should be fun."

Naruto blinked at her in confusion, "Huh? Training mission?"

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, Sai was just telling me that they are spending some time together to improve their team work. Our teams work together fairly frequently because we're familiar with one another's style, but Sai is still so new to our team that he's at a disadvantage."

Shikamaru smiled at the small group standing behind Sakura; Ino and Tenten just shrugged and Sai smiled back at him.

Chouji grinned and gave the pale anbu a thumbs-up; Sai tilted his head at the gesture then copied it and stared at his own thumb. The large chunnin tried to suppress a laugh and shook his head as Sai turned to Ino with a questioning look.

The blond kunoichi just smiled and waved him off then dragged him closer to the small gathering of ninja, "Hey there Naruto," she winked, "How's it going?"

Naruto looked at her over Sakura's head and forced a smile, "Hi girls, Sai, good to see you."

Sakura tugged on the sleeve of his guest robe so he looked down at her, "I hope you don't mind Naruto, but I invited them to join us for dinner, it is my birthday after all and I thought it would be nice to spend it with all of my friends."

Naruto beamed at her, "Of course I don't mind Sakura-chan! You can invite whoever you want, we'll make a party of it."

Sakura smiled up at her teammate, "Thanks Naruto! I'm really happy"

She turned back to the others; Naruto's expression softened as Chouji slung an arm over the small woman's shoulders and wished her a happy birthday.

He felt himself smiling as he watched her chatting happily with their friends as they walked towards the main resort building, _I'm really glad you're happy Sakura-chan._

He was startled out of his thoughts as Shikamaru leaned on his shoulder, "You really do love her don't you Naruto?" 

"Yeah," his gaze fell to his feet, "I just wish I knew how to make her see me as more than a friend."

Shikamaru nudged him with his elbow, "I think she already does." he turned and looked into Nauto's sapphire eyes, "I just don't think she realizes it herself yet." he smiled, "Keep being yourself and make sure to tell her exactly how you feel. You have to be serious with her, she won't know what to do with you if you goof around."

Naruto closed his eyes, "Thanks Shikamaru, but I already know who she likes," he sighed, "but if she'll let me take his place.....even if it's only for a little while, I'll be happy."

The blond grimaced as Shikamaru slapped the back of his head then slung his arm across Naruto's shoulders, "Don't be an idiot Naruto."

He smiled encouragingly, "Don't give up so easily; it goes against your nature. You're not a substitute for that selfish bastard, you're way too good for that. We all know it even if you don't, Sakura knows it too. She's not comparing you to him anymore, you've earned her respect and she sees you for who you are."

Naruto smiled, "You think?"

The dark-haired ninja nodded and patted Nauto's shoulder, "Of course, and I can guarantee that given the choice, anyone in Konoha would chose you over that guy every time."

Naruto started to respond, but he was cut off as their friends called to them; they looked up to see Tenten waving at them, "Shikmaru, Naruto hurry up! We're hungry!"

Shikamaru released his hold on Naruto and started towards the small group; Naruto jogged to catch up, then fell in step with the taller ninja, "Thanks Shikamaru."

"Anytime."

Sakura grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him to her side, "Sheesh, we almost left you two behind!" she looked up at him, "What were you guys talking about anyway? You looked so serious..."

Naruto bit his lip as he looked down into her emerald eyes, trying to decide what to tell her, "Uh, ah well he was asking if I was alright, because I was feeling a little dizzy."

She tightened her grip on his arm,"Naruto!"

He blushed and tried to reassure her with a light-hearted smile, "I'll be fine Sakura-chan! I think I was just in the hot spring a little too long..."

His pink-haired teammate looked up at him with worried eyes, "I think you're right Naruto, your face is flushed! Idiot, you shouldn't have stayed in for so long!"

She tugged on his arm, pulling him to a halt, "Hey everyone!"

Naruto groaned inwardly as their friends turned back to them with quizzical looks; Sakura waved them over, "Naruto has a bit of a fever from being in the hot spring for too long so I'm going to take him back to our room so he can rest for a bit."

Ino eyed the other blond, "Hmm, his face is kind of red." she turned to Sakura, "Well while you take care of him how about the rest of us go get some takeout and bring it to _your_ room?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the other girl, "That would be great, thanks Ino. It's the first room on the second floor."

Tenten gave her a thumbs-up, "Leave it to us. We'll be back before you know it."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto with one eyebrow raised and Naruto shrugged; Ino looked from one boy to the other, then shrugged and grabbed her teammate's hand, pulling him along behind her.

Naruto scrambled in his pocket for his wallet, "Wait, hold on a sec!"

Ino turned back to him, "Yeah?"

He tossed his wallet to Shikamaru, but the other ninja shook his head and tossed it back, "Don't worry about it. You can get it next time."

The blond looked at him with wide eyes, "But you said--"

Shikamaru interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "I changed my mind."

Before Naruto could protest, his friends turned and walked away; Sakura put one hand on her hip as she looked up at her teammate, "What was all that about?"

Naruto's blush deepened as he thought about his recent conversation with the dark-haired genius, "Ah, well, just something from when we were talking earlier...."

Without warning Sakura grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm across her shoulders then wrapped her other arm around his torso, "Explanations can wait. Your face is really red now, we need to get you cooled off." she clutched the back of his robe, "Hold onto me so you don't get dizzy and fall while we're going up the stairs."

The blond felt more heat rising to his cheeks, "Really I'm okay Sakura-chan."

He grimaced as she pinched the sensitive skin on the underside of his wrist and started walking towards their hotel room, "No arguments."

Naruto sighed as he allowed her to lead him up the stairs, "Alright, alright, sorry!"

They climbed the stairs in silence; it took them only a minute to reach the door of their room, but it seemed much longer to Naruto, who was acutely aware of Sakura's lithe frame pressed close against his side.

They stopped in front of their door and Sakura fished in the pockets of her robe for the key, "Hmm, I know it's here somewhere..." she paused in thought, "Damn! I think I left it in the room with my forehead protector!"

She turned to her flushed companion, "You have yours right Naruto?"

"Yeah," he tried to pull his hand away from her to reach into the pocket that was currently flattened between their hips, "I'll get it."

Sakura tightened her grip on his wrist then reached into his pocket with her free hand, "I'm not letting go of you until you're sitting down. The last thing I need is you falling down the stairs and breaking your neck."

Naruto's face glowed red as she wormed her fingers into the pocket that was pressed between them; he averted his eyes and tried very hard to focus elsewhere as her groping fingers fluttered against his side, "S-sakura-chan...."

"Aha!" the pink-haired kunoichi held the key up in satisfaction, "Good thing you didn't forget your key too."

He slumped against her, relieved that she had found the key so quickly, "Yeah, really good..." 

"Naruto, hang in there!"

She quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open with her foot, dragging her teammate into the room with her.

He shuffled along at her side as she led him to the couch and pushed him onto it, "Wait here, I'll get some ice to put on your head," she fixed him with a stern look, "Got that? Stay put."

"No problem Sakura-chan"

She nodded in satisfaction and crossed the room to close the door and retrieve the key, then disappeared around a corner and into the small kitchenette.

Naruto slumped back against the soft cushions and sighed heavily, "Man this is getting out of hand, she's touched me before, why the hell am I being so sensitive now...?"

Sakura re-appeared a moment later with a glass of water in one hand and an ice pack in the other; in an instant she was at his side pressing the glass into his hand, "Here drink this."

Naruto flinched away as her fingers brushed against his; he nearly dropped the cup, but Sakura placed her fingers over his to steady his hand, "Geeze Naruto. I guess it can't be helped..."

She kept her hand on his as she guided the glass to his lips, "Drink."

The blond did as he was told, inhaling deeply through his nose and gulping down the cool liquid.

Once the cup was empty Sakura nodded in satisfaction and held the ice out to him, "Put this on your head."

Naruto held up his hands and shook his head, "I'm all better now Sakura-chan. That water was just what I needed, so you don't need to worry about me any more."

The ice crunched between her fingers as Sakura tightened her grip on the ice pack, "Naruto, you idiot, your face is still all red so quit arguing with me!"

He didn't have time to respond because she plopped onto the other end of the couch; in one smooth movement she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him over until his head was resting in her lap, then unceremoniously dropped the ice pack on top of his head.

Naruto stuttered incoherently as he looked up at her; from his position on her lap, the curves of her figure appeared very prominently and he was suddenly grateful for the ice that was cooling the heat that was rising to his cheeks once more.

_Damn it! I need to get a hold of myself!_

He tried to sit up, but Sakura placed one slender hand on his chest and pushed him back down, "You're not going anywhere until I'm sure you're alright, so you might as well get comfortable."

The blond sighed in resignation, _Ah what the hell? I might as well enjoy this while I have the opportunity._

He squirmed his shoulders into a more comfortable position and pressed the side of his head against her belly as he took a deep breath; relishing her familiar scent.

"Sorry about this Sakura-chan."

She pushed the ice pack lower over his face so it was covering his eyes, then smiled fondly at the young man, "You're such an idiot Naruto, if you hadn't stayed in the bath so long we wouldn't be in this position in the first place."

"Sorry..."

The pink-haired medic brushed his hair back from his face, letting her fingers linger in the golden spikes, "I really wish you would take better care of yourself you know, and part of that is listening to me when I tell you to do something."

She tapped his forehead with the tip of her finger, "I'm trained for this sort of thing, I know what I'm talking about Naruto."

She paused waiting for a response, but the room was silent except for the sound of his breathing, "Naruto?"

He emitted a soft snore as he nuzzled into her; she stared down at him for a moment, then slowly lifted the ice pack so she could see his face.

She blinked at him, "He's asleep." his face was still a bit flushed, but whether it was from the ice or the hot spring she couldn't say.

Sakura sighed and covered his eyes with the ice again, "Sheesh you idiot! Really, who falls asleep in the middle of a conversation!" she fought the urge to push him off the couch, "I can't believe you."

The young medic absently toyed with his hair as she settled herself back against the couch, _I guess this isn't so bad_, she lifted the ice again and settled it higher so she could examine his face.

She smiled, _He is so cute when he's asleep. _

Sakura sighed as her thoughts drifted to the conversation that she'd had with the Hokage earlier.

_The door to Sakura's office swung open on well-oiled hinges and Tsunade walked into the room with Shizune close at her heels._

_Sakura dropped the paper she had been reading and immediately got to her feet, "Good afternoon Tsunade-sama."_

_The Hokage smiled at her student, "Good morning, we came to wish you a happy birthday Sakura."_

_The young kunoichi inclined her head, "Thank you very much."_

_Tsunde smiled mischievously at her, "So Sakura, any plans for tonight? Perhaps you're doing something with Naruto?"_

_Sakura blushed lightly, "Ah, yes. He asked if he could pick me up from work; I think he has something planned..."_

_The two older women exchanged a knowing look, "I see, well you'd better work hard and be finished on time, you don't want to keep him waiting."_

"_Y-yes, I'm almost finished here unless you need me for something."_

_The Godaime nodded in approval, "Good we're fine here, so why don't you take tomorrow off? Shizune can cover your shift." she winked, "Consider it our gift to you. You'll be able to stay out as late as you like."_

_Sakura bowed, "Thank you Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san."_

"_My pleasure Sakura."_

_The two older kunoichi turned to leave, but Tsunade paused in the doorway, "Sakura."_

"_Yes?"_

_The older woman smiled, "Try to make sure that Naruto has a good time too. He'll do anything to make you happy, but he never really gets to celebrate anything, so I think he's really looking forward to this. I know he's precious to you, so you should try to make him smile too don't you think?"_

_Tsunade walked out of the room and closed the door behind her without waiting for an answer._

_Sakura stared at the place where her teacher had stood, mulling over her words, "He's looking forward to this too huh?"_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Naruto shift against her; he snored loudly as one of his legs slipped off the side of the couch and he threw one arm over his head so it was resting across the armrest.

Sakura rolled her eyes as the blond continued to snore and mutter incoherently in his sleep; once again she found herself caught between admiring him and the urge to hit him.

The pink haired kunoichi sighed and leaned her head back, "Naruto you idiot, what am I supposed to do with you?"

She continued to twist his hair in her fingers; with a smile she realized that he must have washed it recently, his hair was even brighter and softer than it usually was; she realized that he must have done it for her since he had a tenancy to be unaware of his appearance.

Whenever she had complained to him about it, he had always smiled and told her that he didn't need to be clean to train or go on missions because he was only going to get dirty again anyway.

Sakura smiled,_ But he felt he had to wash up for me huh?_

"Mmmmm Sakura.....chan..."

The young medic smiled fondly at her teammate, "You think about me a lot don't you Naruto?" she watched him with a thoughtful expression on her face, "I've been thinking about you more too. What should I do?"

AN: BTW Has anyone read last weeks Naruto chapter yet? Ch 445? Like seriously? The dog? REALLY? The hell Kishi? -_- I don't even know what to say. Damn character origin flashbacks...Naru-kun you should kill them both now just for having a crappy, generic back-story.


	9. This is a Party

AN: Hey, I'm back, I've gotten messages asking me to keep writing and I am really grateful that people are still interested, as always I look forward to any feedback you care to give! I fully intend to finish this story, so thank you for your patience.

As a side note, I went back through all the previous chapters to get a feel for the story again, as a result ALL of the chapters have been revised and updated. As they say hind sight is 20-20, I tried to make sure that everyone was as in character as possible, and I cleaned things up a bit. I hope that everyone likes the changes.

Sakura jumped as Ino burst into the room, followed closely by Tenten, "Hey Forehead girl, we're back!"

The two kunoichi stopped in their tracks when they spotted Sakura sitting on the couch with Naruto sprawled across her lap.

Ino's eyes widened and she grinned, "Sakura? I didn't think you had it in you!"

Sakura blushed and waved her hands trying to catch her friend's attention, "Shhh! Ino don't yell, he's asleep! This isn't what you think!"

Her words were lost on the other girl; instead she turned back towards the door and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Guys get in here! You absolutely have to see this!"

Footsteps pounded up the stairs as the boys rushed to join the kunoichi; Sakura winced as she heard Chouji's booming voice from outside, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Shikamaru, Chouji, and Sai appeared in the doorway just in time to see Naruto jump; startled awake by the sudden noise.

Still half asleep, he sprang up from the couch; his hand automatically searching for a kunai; but before he could get both feet on the ground he tripped on coffee table that was situated in front of the couch.

His hands grasped at air as he fell; in the same instant Sakura's hand shot out and pulled on his arm to keep his head from hitting the edge of the table, but she couldn't catch him and he landed awkwardly between the two pieces of furniture.

Naruto gasped as his breath was knocked out of him, "Ow ow ow...."

Sakura leaned over him, "Idiot," she sighed, "Are you okay?"

Their friends crowded around them and the boys set the bags they had been holding on the small table.

Chouji bit back a laugh as he placed one hand on the offending piece of furniture and leaned over the shorter ninja, "Hey, you alright man?"

Naruto grimaced, then opened his eyes to see his friends hovering over him, "Yeah...what the hell was all the noise about?" he frowned and tried to sit up, but his leg got caught under the small table, nearly knocking it over.

Shikamaru slammed his hands down on the furniture to keep it from tipping over and dumping their dinner all over the floor, "Take it easy! You're such a klutz sometimes."

The blond flushed with embarrassment and glared up at him, "It's not my fault! Why the hell did you guys put the food on there anyway? I can't get up from here unless I move something; I don't have enough leverage."

Shikamaru sighed and moved around the table so he was in line with the shorter ninja, "Chouji slide the table away so he doesn't knock it over. Sakura tuck your feet up."

The pink-haired medic released her hold on her teammate's arm then sat back on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her.

"Here," the young genius leaned over his prone friend and held his hand out to him, "I'll help you up."

Naruto sighed and took the offered hand, "Thanks."

Shikamaru leaned back on his heels and pulled the other ninja to his feet, "You totally over-reacted you know."

"Did not! I was asleep!"the blond pouted at his friends, "I'm all comfy and suddenly the door slams open and there was a bunch of yelling; how am I supposed to react to that?"

Chouji laughed, "You fell asleep? You must've been really out of it. The look on your face was great!"

"I wish I had some pictures!" Tenten laughed; ignoring Sakura's irritated sigh, "That would give me blackmail material forever!"

Naruto glared at the larger ninja; he opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off as Ino slid between them.

She grinned up at her fellow blond, "'All comfy' huh? You were asleep on Sakura's lap you know."

Naruto blushed and tried to stutter a reply but the kunoichi ignored him and turned to look slyly at her pink-haired friend, "Looked like you were pretty comfortable too. I wonder how you ended up in that position...?"

Sakura rose stiffly, her hands clenched at her sides, "I swear Ino-pig, I am going to kick your ass if you don't shut up."

Ino giggled and waved off the threat, but she took several steps back to put herself out of the range of Sakura's fists before she spoke again, "Aww, don't worry, we understand. You are teammates after all."

"I'm not sure I do." Sai tilted his head slightly as he looked at his blond teammate, "Your reaction time was good Naruto, but you shouldn't have lost your balance like that. If we were your enemies we could have killed you by now."

The blond glared at the socially inept ninja, "Really? Thanks for the tip bastard. I just thought I'd try a new move where I fall on my ass like an idiot in order to surprise and confuse the enemy." he continued, not caring if the sarcasm was lost on the other teen, "So, how'd it work?"

Sai put his hand on his chin with a small smile on his face, "Hmm, well I was surprised but it doesn't seem very practical. Unless that was meant to be sarcasm, I'm still not entirely clear on it's uses."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he flopped onto the couch beside Sakura, "You have got to be kidding me..."

Ino and Tenten laughed as they settled themselves at either end of the small table; Tenten smiled and reached for the bag closest to her, "Lets eat before it gets cold."

Naruto grinned, forgetting his irritation with his teammate, "Great I'm starving, what'd you guys get me? Any ramen?"

Ino laughed, "Sorry, the place we ended up at didn't serve ramen, you'll have to make do with what we bought." the kunoichi smiled as she reached across the table to hand a takeout box to her fellow blond.

Naruto pouted, "No ramen? But I know there's a ramen place around here." he started to stand, "I'll be right back."

Sakura sighed and caught him by the arm and pulled him back onto the couch, "You probably know every place to get ramen for a 30 mile radius, but that doesn't mean you can't eat something else once in awhile. Just eat what they brought for you."

The blond turned his pout at his teammate, "But Sakura-chan..."

"Naruto..." she brandished her fist at the other ninja.

Naruto cringed away from her and hastily reached for the box that Ino was holding out to him, "Ah, thanks Ino this smells great!

Ino and Tenten laughed while the pink haired kunoichi at his side just sighed and shook her head, "You're such an idiot."

Tenten grinned, "Wow Sakura, I wish I could control Lee that easily. If I hit him, he barely feels it."

Ino nodded, "Seriously, I know what you mean," she gestured at her teammates, "These guys hardly ever listen to me. They just do what they want."

Shikamaru grimaced, "You'd better not starting hitting me like Sakura hits Naruto...."

Chouji nodded, "Yeah, we're not push overs like him."

The blond frowned, "Hey! I just-! Well--!" he pointed at Sakura, "She hits really hard!"

Shikamaru raised one eyebrow, "Oh come on, you've been injured to the point where you can't even stand and haven't complained about it and _she_ scares you?"

Sakura glared at the taller ninja, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Tenten grimaced, "Now, now, let's just eat okay? We're here to have fun and celebrate Sakura's birthday right?"

Sakura shot one last glare at Shikamaru before turning back to her dinner, "If I had known that the five of you were going to be here, I would have invited everyone." she flashed a smile at Naruto, "but this was sort of a last minute decision."

"Being spontaneous is the best part Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned and shoved some tempura into his mouth.

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino are leaving for a mission early tomorrow morning." Chouji informed them between bites.

Tenten nodded, "Lee and Neji are out on a mission too. They were supposed to leave this evening and won't be back until next week."

Naruto shrugged, "You can always have a party with everyone once we get back so no one will feel left out."

Ino clapped her hands, "That's a great idea, we haven't gotten everyone together in such a long time!" she grinned, "We can use Chouji's place since it's the biggest, well beside Hinata's home, but I really don't think that's an option."

"Hey!" Chouji hastily swallowed the rice he had been chewing, "You can't just volunteer my house Ino!."

She waved him off, "It's got the most space; your parents won't mind. They let me and Shikamaru hang out there all the time."

"That's different, there's only two of you. You're talking about a party for a dozen people." he pointed at Naruto, "Anyway wouldn't it be better to use his place? It's not like Naruto has to get permission for this kind of thing."

Naruto blinked in surprise, "Well I don't mind as long as we keep it down so we don't bug my neighbors, but isn't my place kinda small for that many people?"

Ino nodded, "That's why I said we should use Chouji's place."

"I told you, quit volunteering other people's homes!"

"Ah, Chouji. Didn't you just volunteer _my_ home?"

Sakura laughed lightly, "Why don't we worry about the details later. We don't even know when we'll have a chance to have everyone all together again."

"I would certainly like to go to Sakura's birthday party," Sai's soft voice caught everyone's attention and they turned to watch him, "I've never been to a party before."

Everyone was quiet for a moment until Naruto broke the silence with a laugh, "Sai, you dummy, you're at a party right now!"

The young ANBU blinked at him in confusion, "I don't understand. In the books parties have games and decorations and-"

His explanation was cut short by Naruto patting him hard on the back, "That's one kind of party sure, but there are lots of different kinds."

Sai still seemed confused so Sakura continued the explanation, "A party is really just a bunch of friends hanging out together. Decorations and games are fun, but that's not the important part."

Chouji nodded, "That's right, a party is just about having fun with your friends."

"I see," he chewed thoughtfully as he absorbed this new information, "I guess I 'll have to go to as many parties as I can to experience the different types."

Ino smiled, "That's the spirit. When things settle down we should have as many parties as we can."

Shikamaru lifted his cup, "I'll drink to that."

They laughed and wished Sakura a happy birthday as they tapped the disposable cups together in a toast.

The young shinobi talked happily while they ate, laughing and telling stories of other, similar nights that they had spent together.

After their meal Shikamaru stepped outside for a cigarette and Chouji went out to keep him company, so Naruto began to clean up as the girls drifted to one corner of the room engrossed in their own conversation.

He grinned when he spotted Sai, sitting cross legged just off to the side listening intently to their conversation.

As he watched Sakura laughing and chatting with the other kunoichi he realized that he was glad that their friends had followed them even though it meant he got less time alone with his favorite kunoichi, "I guess I'll give Baa-Chan a break on this one since everyone is having so much fun."

The blond turned back to his work, humming tunelessly to himself as he started scooping the leftovers back into their boxes and gathering up the trash.

He was just heading to the door to take out the garbage when Shikamaru came back inside smelling of tobacco with Chouji at his heels.

Naruto wrinkled his nose at the other teen, but said nothing as he slipped past his companions. Chouji turned back into the hall and caught the shorter ninja by the arm, "Where are you going?"

"Just taking out the trash, I'll be right back," he replied, holding up the remnants of their dinner for emphasis, "Don't worry I saved all the leftovers, they're in the mini-fridge."

Chouji nodded in approval, "I see, need a hand?"

"Nope, I've got it. Head back in, I'll just be a second."

As the large teen walked back into the room Sakura turned around, obviously unaware that her blond teammate had gone out, "Hey Naruto didn't you say that there was a theater around here....."

She trailed off as she looked around the room, quickly scanning the area for him, "Naruto?"

Ino looked around and blinked, "He was just here, where did he go?"

Chouji flopped onto the couch beside Shikamaru, "He was cleaning up; he's taking the trash out. I passed him on my way in."

Sakura turned her gaze to the now clean coffee table, "He took care of that mess by himself? He should have said something, I'd have helped."

Shikamaru chuckled lightly, "You three looked like you were having a lot of fun, so he probably didn't want to bother you. Besides, do you really think he'd want you to have to clean up on your birthday?"

Ino grinned and threw one arm around her childhood friend's neck, "You're so lucky Sakura. When are you two gonna make it official?"

"I-Ino! What are you talking about?" Sakura's face turned a shade of pink that almost matched her hair.

"He's a great guy. A bit of a dork at times, but he really cares about you." Ino winked at the other kunoichi, "Did you know he knows what your favorite flower is? He knew exactly what he wanted when he came into the shop this morning."

Sakura glanced at the daffodils that Naruto had placed on the nightstand and her eyes softened as she thought of the blond.

Ino shared a knowing look with Tenten as she stepped away from Sakura and patted her on the back, "Actually, you better make a move soon or I might beat you to him."

The pink-haired medic's head snapped around to stare at the other girl, "What? Since when do you like Naruto like that?"

The blond silently noted that Sakura had yet to deny her feelings for her teammate, "I told you, I think he's a great guy." she smiled mischievously, "Besides, he knows what my favorite flower is too. He overheard me talking about it years ago and he actually remembered."

Sakura blinked at the other girl in surprise, "He remembered after all that time...."

"Yeah, it's funny; he can be so dumb sometimes, but I guess he's a genius when it comes to people."

Tenten placed her hands on either side of her face and sighed, "I wish my teammates would remember stuff like that. All they seem to think about is training and missions, especially Neji....."

At that moment Naruto walked back into the room absently wiping his hands on his pants; he paused when everyone in the room turned to look at him, "Uh, did I miss something?"

Sakura blushed and looked away; Ino laughed, "Nothing important."

Naruto looked puzzled, but after a moment he shrugged and went into the bathroom to wash his hands; when he turned to walk back into the main room he almost ran into Sakura, "Ah, sorry Sakura-chan. Did you need to use the bathroom? I'll get out of your way."

He put one hand on her shoulder to guide her around as he squeezed past her in the narrow doorway, she smiled and reached up and put her hand on his, "Thanks for taking care of everything Naruto"

"No problem, I just want everyone to have fun!" he grinned and she felt a tingle run down her spine.

"Still, you could have waited a bit to clean up; we would have helped you." she smiled up at him, her face still colored a delicate pink.

"Ah, it's not a big deal, I always cleaned up when I was traveling with Ero-sennin. This mess was nothing compared to that." he shuddered at the memory, "Besides, everyone else went and brought everything back. It's only fair for me to clean up."

She patted his arm with her free hand, "Well anyway, I wanted to say thanks. I'm having a really great time. Just don't worry too much about things being perfect, I really want you to have fun too."

He tensed for a moment as he fought the urge to hug her, "I'm having a lot of fun Sakura-chan. I'm glad you agreed to spend your birthday with me!"

Naruto gently squeezed her shoulder before he pulled away and moved back into the main area of their hotel room.

Sakura laughed lightly as he jumped over the back of the couch and settled himself between Shikamaru and Chouji. The larger boy just laughed, but Shikamaru grumbled in annoyance as he was jostled by the blond.

As she moved to join her friends Ino turned to her once more, "Hey Sakura, didn't you say you'd like to see a movie?"

Tenten nodded, "Yeah, that sounds like fun."

Sakura shrugged, "I'd like to go," she turned to Naruto, "Actually I was going to ask you. Didn't you say something about a movie theater earlier?"

"Yup," he stood up and stretched, "There's a movie theater on the other side of the outdoor market. It's part of the resort."

The blond turned to his teammate, "If you want to go I'll take you."

Tenten moved to stand beside Ino, "We're coming too!"

Naruto smiled and turned to face Shikamaru and Chouji, "What about you guys? You coming?"

"I guess so," Shikamaru shrugged, "No point hanging around here by ourselves."

Sakura offered her hand to Sai who was still seated on the floor watching them intently, "What about you Sai, do you want to come?"

The young ANBU took the offered hand and let her pull him to his feet, "Yes, it seems like it would be quite interesting."

"Okay, just give me a minute to change. I don't really want to go to a movie in my guest robe."

"Good idea Sakura-chan." Naruto turned to Shikamaru, "Mind if I change in your room to save time?"

Shikamaru tossed him the key to their room, "Sure why not. It's across the hall."

"Thanks."

A few minutes later Naruto was leading them away from the main hotel building towards the busy market streets. Sakura looped one arm with his as they walked, letting him lead her as she gazed around at the shops and the other tourists.

Sakura squeezed his arm a bit, doing her best to ignore the delighted look on Ino and Tenten's faces, "Naruto..."

He looked down at the woman at his side, "Yeah?"

"After the movie lets look around the shops too okay? This area looks really fun."

"Sure Sakura-chan," he grinned, "Anything you want."

Sorry this chapter was a bit shorter than previous ones, but I've been pretty swamped with homework (1 more week!) and this seemed like a good place to stop. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up in a MUCH more timely manner. Again, I really appreciate the people who have reviewed and sent me messages asking me to continue, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.


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